Association between HIV infection, antiretroviral therapy and dysglycaemia prevalence in black South Africans: evidence from the Durban Diabetes Study

Abstract

Aims: To determine the association between HIV infection, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and dysglycaemia in urban black South Africans in the Durban Diabetes Study (DDS).

Methods: In a population-based cross-sectional study, adult participants without a history of diabetes mellitus (DM) were included for analysis. The prevalence of dysglycaemia (total, impaired fasting glucose [IFG], impaired glucose tolerance [IGT], or diabetes ), using oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and its relationship to HIV and ART use was assessed.

Results: In the total group (n: 1 067, 749 women), 45.6% (n: 487) were HIV+; 35.3% (n: 172) of the HIV+ group were on ART. The overall prevalence of total dysglycaemia was 8.1%; IFG 0.8%, IGT 3.8%, and diabetes 3.5%. IGT and diabetes prevalence was higher in women than in men. The prevalence of all categories of dysglycaemia peaked in the ≥ 65-year age group and was higher in the HIV– vs. HIV+ group (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between HIV+ART– and HIV+ART+ for prevalence of total dysglycaemia and its subsets. Traditional risk factors (BMI, age) but not HIV or ART were associated with increased risk of dysglycaemia.

Conclusion: In this population, HIV infection and ART are not associated with a higher prevalence of dysglycaemia.