Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in HIV-Infected Cameroonian Patients

Aims: Metabolic complications related to antiretroviral therapy are rarely investigated among HIV-infected patients in Cameroon. The study reports the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its individual components among HIV-infected Cameroonians. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional study of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among 492 patients (338 women, 117 men; age range 20 years) recruited at a reference centre, the day hospital, Central Hospital in Yaounde between September 2009 and September 2010. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to IDF (International Diabetes Federation) and NCEP ATP III (National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III) criteria relative to obesity, glycemic, lipid, arterial blood pressure parameters. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 32.8% according to IDF and 30.7% by NCEP (p = 0.0001). The prevalences of individual components according to IDF and NCEP were as follows: abdominal obesity (40.5%; 26.9% respectively), hypertriglyceridemia (55.5%), low HDL cholesterol (42.5%), systolic hypertension (38.2%) diastolic hypertension (28.5%), hyperglycemia (31.2%; 1.3% p = 0.0001). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 36% in patients under HAART, 23.4% in naive, (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome depends on the presence and the type of HAART used, the definition and the gender.