Muscle Strength and Physical Fitness of Young People Living with Perinatal HIV in Northern Thailand

Currently, many young people living with perinatally-acquired HIV (YPHIV) are adults. Living with HIV and chronic use of antiretroviral medication might increase the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and affect the physical fitness of individuals. This study assessed muscle strength and functional exercise capacity in YPHIV patients in Thailand.

The cross-sectional Study was conducted at Chiang Mai University. Inclusion criteria were 1) YPHIV aged 16-30 years, 2) having perinatal HIV infection, and 3) receiving antiretroviral treatment and being clinically healthy. Those with active concurrent illnesses or physical disabilities were excluded. Anthometric measurements were performed, and data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Handgrip strength was measured using a digital handgrip dynamometer (TKK 5401; Takei, Japan), with Korean reference ranges used. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) was performed to assess functional exercise capacity. The regression equation from a Singaporean study was adopted to calculate predicted values.

Thirty-four YPHIV were included; 19 (56%) were female. Their median age was 23.5 years (interquartile range, IQR 19.8, 26.6), and their median body mass index was 21.7 kg/m² (IQR 18.6, 24.2). The median handgrip strength was 23.8 kilograms (IQR 20.8, 30.3) in females and 33.6 kilograms (IQR 26.1, 40.2) in males. There were 10 (29%) participants with suboptimal handgrip strength and 1 (2.9%) with low handgrip strength. The median 6-minute walk distances were 489 meters (IQR 447, 523) in females and 536 meters (IQR 485, 568) in males. 6 participants (18%) had walking distances < 10% of their predicted values.

It was demonstrated that around two-thirds of YPHIV had optimal muscle strength, as most of them were found to have good physical fitness. Suboptimal strength in some participants could be related to HIV and its treatment, as well as other social factors. As low muscle strength was identified as a marker of cardiovascular risk and related to metabolic syndrome, YPHIV could benefit from age-appropriate exercise to minimize long-term health consequences.

Despite being clinically healthy and having good physical fitness, nearly one-third of YPHIV had suboptimal muscle strength for their age and gender. Physical activities and muscle-strengthening exercises should be encouraged.