Metabolic Syndrome Among People Living with HIV Receiving Medical Care in Southern United States: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Using representative data among 1861 in care people living with HIV (PLWH) in four southern states (Texas, Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia) from the 2013–2014 Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) survey, we estimated the prevalence and odds of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among various demographic and HIV related risk factors. Overall MetS prevalence was 34%, with our participants being mostly black (55%), male (72%), ≥ 50 years old (46%), and overweight or obese (60%) with undetectable viral loads (≤ 200 copies/ml, 69%), and were currently taking antiretroviral medication (98%). Compared to those who were ≥ 60 years, 18–39 year olds had a 79% (95% CI 0.13–0.33) lower odds of having MetS. Women were 2.24 times more likely to have MetS than men (95% CI 1.69–2.97). Age and sex were significant predictors of MetS. Since MetS is a combination of chronic disease risk factors, regular screening for MetS risk factors among aging PLWH is crucial.