Prevalence and Incidence of Diabetes in Minority Patients on Protease Inhibitors
In HIV-infected patients, the use of protease
inhibitors (PIs) is associated with a constellation of abdominal
obesity, buffalo
hump; decreased
facial and subcutaneous fat; hyperlipidemia
and type-2 diabetes mellitus,
a so-called HAART-associated dysmetabolic
syndrome.
The
incidence and prevalence of one of its components, the type-2 diabetes mellitus,
among minority population is unknown.
In
August and September 1999, researchers at Drew University of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA
reviewed 101 charts of HIV-infected patients who visited an inner-city
HIV outpatient clinic.
The
age, gender, ethnicity, BMI, fasting plasma glucose, random serum
glucose, triglycerides,
CD4 counts, and the type and duration of antiretroviral drugs were recorded. Three
years later (2002), the same patient charts were reviewed for evidence of new-onset
diabetes.
Results
Ten percent of the subjects were identified as diabetic at baseline.
The prevalence of diabetes was 12% among
those who were taking PIs, compared to 0% among those who were not taking PIs.
The incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes
during this three-year period was 7.2%.
Diabetes occurred only in the group taking
PIs. Diabetic subjects were older than their non diabetic counterparts.
All were African Americans.
The
authors conclude, “Our study suggests that PIs increase the likelihood of diabetes
developing with increasing age in African Americans infected with HIV.”
Department of Medicine, Charles
R. Drew
University of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
90059, USA.
10/12/05
Reference
B
Salehian and others. Prevalence and incidence of diabetes in HIV-infected minority
patients on protease inhibitors. Journal of the National Medical Association 97(8):1088-1092.
August 2005.
