In order to test this hypothesis, we performed stepwise multiple linear regression analyses relating clinically plausible predictors (age, gender, ethnicity, current smoking status, time since diagnosis, duration of cART, current viral load and CD4 count, glucocorticoid use, alcohol intake, diabetes mellitus, and hepatitis C) to current BMI for both recent whole-year reviews (analyzed separately as per section “Materials and Methods”). This evidence concerns the gene CD4 and hepatitis C virus infection.