Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: August | Volume: 9 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 360-366
Is HIV a Contributing Factor to Occurrence of Hyperglycemia: A Case of People Living with HIV Attending Nyeri Referral Hospital, Kenya?
Samuel Njagi1, Peter Chege2
1Department of Medical Biochemistry, Kenya Medical Training College, Kenya
2Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Corresponding Author: Samuel Njagi
ABSTRACT
Background: The hallmark of advanced HIV infection is the progressive loss of a specific type of immune cells called the CD4 cells weakening the immune system and leaving individual vulnerable to various opportunistic infections (OIs) and other illnesses, ranging from pneumonia to cancers. Complications such as hyperglycemia/ diabetes mellitus (DM) have lately been associated with onset of HIV infection. Minimal information is available on whether the occurrence of Diabetes Mellitus is associated with HIV. This study aims to look at the correlation of hyperglycemia (a risk factor of DM) and HIV infection among the HIV infected individuals in Nyeri County Hospitals-Kenya.
Methods: This was a case control study involving 193 individuals who were grouped into two groups of 97 subjects of HIV individuals (also referred to as study control group) and 96 participants who were HIV positive and based on CD4 count 308.8 ± 249.8 cells per cubic millimeter, Viral load- Not detectable and fasting blood glucose level 4.4 ± 2.2mmol/L.
Results: A total of 193 individuals were enrolled, grouped into 97 subjects of HIV negative individuals (control group) and 96 participants who were HIV positive. In the study 13.54% of HIV positive were hyperglycemic compared to 6.18% HIV- ve individuals (mean glucose level 7.6 ± 5.1 and 4.4 ± 1.1mmol/L, respectively (P>0.05) r=0.023). CD4 mean 888.8 ± 244.1 HIV and 308.8 ± 249.8 cells per cubic millimeter respectively (P>0.05) r=0.057). The correlation between hyperglycemia and viral loads was significant (P>0.05) (r=0.35) while the correlation between hyperglycemia and CD4 was not significant (P>0.05) (r=-0.023).
Conclusion: The study identified Hyperglycemic as a likely complication in HIV infected individuals but resulting from a complex interaction of a variety of diabetes mellitus risk factors.
Key words: HIV, Diabetes Mellitus, blood glucose, viral load, adults