Rapid increases in incident diabetes among people living with HIV (PLHIV) are associated with traditional and HIVspecific risk factors, according to findings published in AIDS. Amanda L. Willig, PhD, RD, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study of 4,113 PLHIV during 2008-2018. They analyzed demographic and clinical data obtained from EMRs and defined diabetes as: 1) A1C greater than or equal to 6.5% and/or two glucose results greater than 200 mg/dL at least 30 days apart; 2) diabetes diagnosis in the EMR; or 3) exposure to diabetes medication. The investigators reported 252 incident cases of diabetes and an increase in incidence from 1.04 incidents per 1,000 person-years in 2008 to 1.55 incidents per 1,000 person-years in 2018. BMI, liver disease, steroid exposure, and integrase inhibitors were associated with incident diabetes. Other related factors included lower CD4 cell counts, duration of HIV infection, exposure to non-statin lipid-lowering therapy, and dyslipidemia. “Notably, several of the risk factors identified are modifiable and can be targeted for intervention,” Dr. Willig and colleagues wrote.
