Metabolic syndrome in HIV infected adults in Poland

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is usually diagnosed based on the presence of abdominal obesity, elevated blood pres­sure (BP), elevated fasting plasma glucose, high serum triglycerides (TG), and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Whether HIV is associated with a higher prevalence of MS than in the general population remains unclear. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of MS in the population of HIV-infected adults and its association with clinical, virological, and biochemical features. Methods: Two hundred and seventy HIV-infected Caucasian adult patients were enrolled in the study and evaluated based on clinical records in the years 2013–2015. Results: Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 60 of 270 (22%) patients, 47 (24%) males and 13 (17%) females, mostly (72%) aged above 40 years. The percentage of patients with diagnosed MS in specific age groups in comparison to the general Polish population for females aged 30 kg/m2 in 29%, waist circumference exceeding 94 cm in men and 80 cm in woman — 87.5%, TG ≥ 150 mg/dL — 82%, HDL cholesterol 100 mg/dL — 42%. In stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.052, 95% con­fidence interval [CI] 1.018–1.088, p = 0.003) and nadir CD4 < 350 cells/mm3 (OR 3.576, 95% CI 1.035–12.355, p = 0.04) were associated with MS. Patients with MS compared with those without this disorder had low, intermediate, high, and very high cardiovascular risk in 10% vs. 23%, 73% vs. 70%, 7% vs. 5%, and 10% vs. 2%, respectively (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Prevalence of MS in the HIV-infected population is higher than in the general Polish population. Age and low nadir CD4 were found to be associated with MS.