Evidence of vitamin D deficiency in mediating disease progression among people living with human immunodeficiency virus: a narrative review

Advances in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis and management have increased life expectancy of HIV-infected individuals.However, despite rising quality of life among HIV patients, maintaining nutritional health and depending on antiretroviral regimen are key factors in the management of disease progression.Scientific articles published between January 2011 and December 2021 were examined.The study and compounding evidence from the literature revealed that poor nutrition and delayed adherence to HIV antiretroviral treatment contribute to micro-nutrient deficiency and HIV pathogenesis.Prevalence of micro-nutrient deficiencies were highly evidenced among HIV patients, particularly in countries with food insecurity and limited access to a variety of food.The use of antiretroviral drugs has the potential to lower vitamin D levels, consequently leading to disease progression by increasing oxidative stress, deterioration of CD4+ count level, and development of metabolic complications.Furthermore, vitamin D supplementation intervention study provided contradictory results, implying that more research is needed.In general, corroborated findings established protection and potency of supplementation of vitamin D among people with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy.Therefore, according to this review, vitamin D supplementation may be a potential protective therapy for HIV-infected individuals with prior deficiencies.