{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T09:23:43Z","timestamp":1787649823173,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787616000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The relationship between diet and body composition in people with HIV (PWH) is still not well defined. Therefore, our primary objective was to assess the association between Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence and body composition measured by whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Secondly, we aimed to assess differences between people living in the north (Padua, Veneto Region, Italy) vs. those living in the south of Italy (Catanzaro, Calabria Region, Italy) and with respect to ethnicity. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, adults with HIV with a confirmed virological suppression were enrolled at two Italian HIV clinics. MD adherence was assessed using the validated MedDiet Score, with high adherence being defined as a score \u2265 25. All participants underwent whole-body DXA. Anthropometric and DXA-derived measures were compared between people with high vs. low adherence to MD, and multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, sex, and CD4+ count at nadir was performed. Results: Among 130 participants (81.5% male; median age 57 years), 105 (80.8%) showed high MD adherence. High adherence to MD was more common among participants from Southern Italy than among those from Northern Italy and was associated with Caucasian ethnicity, higher education, higher CD4+ count and CD4\/CD8 ratio, and a lower prevalence of obesity and neurological disorders. DXA analyses showed lower total and trunk fat mass and higher lumbar spine bone mineral density in highly adherent individuals. After adjustment, high MD adherence remained independently associated with lower BMI (\u03b2 \u22125.3, 95% CI \u22127.3 to \u22123.4; p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: In ageing PWH, high MD adherence was associated with a more favourable clinical profile and healthier body composition, particularly lower central adiposity and BMI. Prospective and interventional studies are needed to clarify the role of this type of diet in PWH.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18090931","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T09:04:30Z","timestamp":1787648670000},"page":"931","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Eating Habits and Possible Effects of Mediterranean Diet on Body Composition in Ageing People Living with HIV in Two Italian Centres"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0263-0703","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"Mazzitelli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Sicurezza e Bioetica\u2014Sezione di Malattie Infettive, Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-8992-1049","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giacomo","family":"Berti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Clinical Research, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Camozzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine DIMED, Endocrine Unit, University of Padova, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3198-7090","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisa","family":"Mazza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Diseases, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuele","family":"Gardin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Davoli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria \u201cRenato Dulbecco\u201d, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria \u201cRenato Dulbecco\u201d, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Scaglione","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7048-5830","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tiziana","family":"Montalcini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Diseases, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Enrico Maria","family":"Trecarichi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita, Della Salute e Delle Professioni Sanitarie, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2869-2945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annamaria","family":"Cattelan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Padua University Hospital, 35128 Padua, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carlo","family":"Torti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dipartimento di Sicurezza e Bioetica\u2014Sezione di Malattie Infettive, Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Han, W.M., Apornpong, T., Gatechompol, S., Ubolyam, S., Chattranukulchai, P., Wattanachanya, L., Siwamogsatham, S., Kerr, S.J., Erlandson, K.M., and Avihingsanon, A. 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