Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk among people living with HIV in Southwest Goiás, Brazil: A cross-sectional study

The study aims to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular risk (CVR), as well as their associations with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, in people living with (PLHIV) receiving care in Southwest Goiás, Brazil. This cross-sectional study including 170 PLHIV followed at a specialized center in Jataí, Goiás, Brazil. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, including MetS components and 10-year CVR estimated using the Framingham risk score. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, adopting p < 0.05. MetS was present in 24.4% of participants and was significantly associated with female sex, older age, lower education, longer duration antiretroviral therapy, presence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), elevated body mass index, increased waist circumference, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, and low HDL-c (all p < 0.05). Moderate CVR was observed in 13.7% of participants and was associated with longer time since HIV diagnosis, antiretroviral therapy duration, presence of NCDs, and low education levels (p < 0.05). In conclusion, nearly one-quarter of PLHIV exhibited MetS, and 13.7% had moderate CVR. While MetS was associated with a broad range of clinical and sociodemographic factors, CVR was predominantly related to disease-specific clinical variables, underscoring the importance of integrated cardiometabolic risk assessment and targeted preventive strategies in this population.