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

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.