As
reported in the November 2007 issue of HIV Medicine, researchers evaluated
the effect of HCV on the risk of diabetes in HIV positive patients, in relation
to traditional diabetes risk factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), and family
history.
This retrospective, cross-sectional study included 1529 HIV positive
outpatients. An adjusted multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess
the effect of HCV seropositivity on diabetes risk, stratified by low and high
propensity for diabetes based on the traditional risk factors. Results
• Patient race, age, BMI, family history,
and HCV infection were all associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Use of protease inhibitors
(PIs) was not associated with diabetes, but HIV-HCV coinfected patients were less
likely to be taking PIs than those with HIV infection alone.
•
In a multivariate analysis controlling for race, the association between
HCV and diabetes was stronger in younger, leaner patients without a family history
of diabetes (low-risk group).
•
However, no association between HCV and type 2 diabetes was observed in older,
overweight patients with a family history of diabetes (high-risk group).
• PI use did not affect the association
between HCV and diabetes.
Conclusion
"Hepatitis
C is an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes in young, lean, HIV-infected
patients," the researchers concluded.
"HIV-infected patients
with HCV infection, regardless of whether they are on PIs, should be carefully
screened for diabetes mellitus even if traditional risk factors for diabetes mellitus
are not present," they recommended.
University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center, Dallas, TX; University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston,
TX; School of Public Health, University of North Texas, Fort Worth, TX; Unity
Health System, Rochester, NY; Saint Francis Hospital, Trenton, NJ.
12/11/07
Reference MK
Jain, C Aragaki, L Fischbach, and others. Hepatitis C is associated with type
2 diabetes mellitus in HIV-infected persons without traditional risk factors.
HIV Medicine 8(8): 491-497. November 2007
