Table 2. Participant characteristics.

STUDY	POPULATION		ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA	DRUGS		BASELINE LIPIDS (mmol/l)
	Gender, mean age, ethnicity	Mean BMI, Smokers		ART	LLM	TG	total cholesterol
Omega 3 supplementation
Peters 2012	98% men 45 yrs 90% white	BMI 24	Fasting TG between 3.4–11.3 mmol/l on low cholesterol diet, avoiding excess alcohol	Stable ART >3 months 52% PIs 46% RTV	All on fibrate or niacin	4.9	6.3
Thusgaard 2009	78% men 45 yrs 86% white	BMI 24.7 31% smokers	All patients on ART	>3 months ART 47% PIs	8%	1.67	5.45
Carter 2006	100% men48 yrs	BMI 24	total cholesterol <6.5 mmol/l; TG 3.5–10 mmol/l	Stable ART >6 months82% PIs	18%	5.06	5.77
DeTruchis 2007	89% men 46 yrs	BMI 23	TG ≥3.43 mmol/l + TG 2–10 g/l after 4 week TG lowering diet; glucose ≤6.6 mmol/l, alcohol ≤20 g/d	Stable ART ≥2 months72% PIs	Nil	4.5	NR
Woods 2009	80% men 47 yrs* 50% white	BMI 25*	BMI 19–30+ TG >1.69 mmol/l or insulin resistance	87% on ART 63%PIs 50% RTV	Nil	2.01*	5.08*
Wohl 2005	90% men 44 yrs 46% white	BMI 27	TG >2.26 mmol/l	Stable ART >3 months43% RTV	Yes %NR	5.44	6.23
Baril 2007	98% men, 49 yrs, 95% white	72% smokers (current or past) 14% DM	triglyceride 6–11 mmol/l, or triglyceride 2–6 mmol/l with total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterol ≥6	Stable ART >6 months 60% PIs	59%	5	6.05
Peabody 2002§	75% men 42 yrs	BMI 25	triglyceride >3 mmol/l	On ART	NR	4.42	5.71
Gerber 2008	93% men 43 yrs* 57% white		triglyceride ≥4.5 mmol/l + LDL-cholesterol ≤4.1 mmol/lAdherence to lipid lowering diet and exercise for 28 d pre screening	ART >3 months 39% PIs	Nil	7.54*	6.33*
Dietary intervention
Fitch 2006	% NR 45 yrs,32% white,	BMI 32, 45% smokers	Metabolic syndrome  = 3/5 of: raised triglyceride, WC, or BP, fasting glucose, low HDL-cholesterol	stable ART >1 month 53% PIs	9%	2.48	5.14
Sanchez 2006§	74% men 42 yrs	BMI 25 52% smokers	Lipodystrophy + no alcohol abuse + no Family History of dyslipidaemia	Stable ART >6 months	Nil	2.62§	5.57§
Lazzaretti 2012	37% men 38 yrs	BMI 24 27% smokers	No ART, no LLM, no history of CVD/dyslipidaemia (mean CD4 177)	naïve to ART 19%started PIs	3% started	1.52	3.94§
Balasubramanyam 2011	91% men 45 yrs 38% white	BMI 27 62% Hx of smoking	Triglycerides between 1.7–11.3 mmol/l + BMI 19–35+ no LLM + CD4>100	Stable ART >6 months 72% PIs	Nil	3.62	5.63
Ng 2011	77% men 41 yrs 0% white	BMI 22	Not previously received diet advice + stable with HIV diagnosis and no current illness(many newly diagnosed and not stable)	79% on ART 17% PIs	Yes %NR	1.99	4.69
Thanasilp 2010§	100% women		On ART	100% on ART
Other tablet supplementation
Hadigan 2006	74% men 46 yrs	BMI 27	Lipodystrophy + triglyceride >1.69 mmol/l + no alcohol abuse	Stable ART >3 months 52% PIs	Nil	2.99	5.23
Chow 2010	89% men 51 yrs* 53% white	BMI 25* 21% smokers 37% ex smokers	HDL-cholesterol <1.04 mmol/l + LDL-cholesterol <3.37 mmol/l	Stable ART ≥6 months 42% PIs	Nil	1.76	4.67
Aghdassi 2010	96% men 48 yrs	BMI 26 33%smokers	One metabolic abnormality (raised glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol or low HDL-cholesterol, self reported LD) + HOMA-IR >2.5 (fasting glucose x insulin)	Stable ART >3 months 65% PIs	31%	2.64	4.97

Characteristics of the eighteen studies included in the qualitative synthesis: Population, eligibility criteria, baseline lipid levels, use of antiretroviral and lipid lowering drugs.

NR  =  not recorded.

LLM  =  lipid modification medication.

ART  =  antiretroviral therapy.

PIs  =  protease inhibitors.

RTV  =  ritonavir.

BMI  =  body mass index.

DM  =  diabetic.

CVD  =  cardiovascular disease.

HOMA-IR  =  insulin resistance.

Conversion factor used: x 0.01129 for mg/dl to mmol/l.