A Smartphone Application to Support Physical Activity in HIV Infected People

Physical activity delays all-cause mortality in the general population and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, type-2 diabetes and some types of cancer (Garber et al., 2011). These diseases are associated with chronic inflammation, which is characterized by activation of inflammatory signalling pathways with abnormal production of cytokines and other mediators (Hotamisligil, 2006). Observational studies of large population cohorts have consistently shown an association between physical inactivity and low-grade systemic inflammation and interventional studies a reduction of inflammatory markers following exercise (Beavers et al., 2010). Chronic inflammation is also a predominant feature of treated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (Lederman et al., 2013; Deeks et al., 2013). Compared to age-matched HIV-negative subjects, persons with chronic HIV infection are at higher risk to develop non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related chronic diseases (Guaraldi et al., 2011), and several studies have shown an association between chronic inflammation and higher cardiovascular risk and overall mortality (Kuller et al., 2008, Duprez et al., 2012). Recently, the investigators performed a pilot study of moderate physical activity that enrolled sedentary HIV infected subjects treated with combination antiretroviral treatment (cART), consisting of brisk walking, with or without strength exercise. Overall, after 12 weeks of training cholesterol profile and soluble and cell inflammatory markers improved significantly. However, because of the considerable individual variability in exercise responses, a program of physical activity needs be adjusted on an individual basis to be most effective. During recent years, the use of mobile technologies has been implemented for health monitoring interventions, including exercise. We hypothesized that the use of a mobile application will favour engagement to exercise by providing motivational inputs