Cardiometabolic syndrome in HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients at Zewditu Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a comparative cohort study.

Cardiometabolic syndrome (CMetS) has recently emerged as a serious public health concern, particularly for individuals living with chronic conditions. This study aimed to determine the incidence and prevalence of CMetS, as well as the risk factors linked with it, in HIV-positive and HIV-negative adult patients.

Methods: A comparative cohort study was designed. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) tools were used to determine the outcome variables. Association studies were done using logistic regression.

Result: CMetS was found to have a greater point and period prevalence, and incidence estimation in HIV-negative than HIV+ patients using both the NCEP and the IDF tools. Using the NCEP tool, the risk of obesity was 44.1% [odds ratio (OR) = 0.559, 95% confidence interval (CI), (0.380-0.824); P = 0.003] lower in HIV+ than in HIV-negative participants. By contrast, no apparent difference was noted using the IDF tool. Similarly, hyperglycemia [OR = 0.651, 95% CI (0.457-0.926); P = 0.017], and hypertension [OR = 0.391, 95% CI (0.271-0.563); P < 0.001] were shown to be lower in HIV+ patients than HIV-negative patients by 34.9% and 60.9%, respectively. The study revealed significant variation in all biomarkers across the follow-up period in both HIV+ and HIV-negative participants, except for SBP.

Conclusions: CMetS caused more overall disruption in HIV-negative people with chronic diseases than in HIV-positive people. All of the indicators used to assess the increased risk of CMetS were equally meaningful in HIV+ and HIV-negative subjects.