A Clinical Trial of SystemCHANGE to Improve Exercise, Diet and Health in HIV-Infected Adults

HIV was once a fatal diagnosis, but due to treatment advances it is no longer a death sentence. Today, HIV-infected adults face a new challenge to their health; they are developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) earlier and more frequently than those not HIV-infected. Reasons for this include toxic effects of HIV medications and activation of the immune system. Preventing cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected adults will help them live healthier lives; however, there is a lack evidence to help us to achieve this goal. Exercise prevents cardiovascular disease, but it is often not addressed in HIV care, due, in part, to a lack of practical interventions targeting this population. This study will address this problem by testing an intervention to improve and maintain exercise in HIV-infected adults. This study will examine the impact of an innovative and sustainable intervention, adapted to the unique medical and psychosocial needs of HIV-infected adults, called SystemCHANGE-HIV. It consists of six sessions to help redesign an individual's environment and routines to increase exercise.This is a randomized trial in which half of the subjects will participate in the intervention and half will participate in a control condition. Measures include assessments of exercise, fitness, and the markers of cardiovascular health before and after the intervention to see if, and how, they changed.