Important differences in components of the metabolic syndrome between HIV-patients with and without highly active antiretroviral therapy and healthy controls.

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in HIV-positive patients with and without HAART and healthy HIV-negative controls. In total 357 subjects were examined: 56 HIV-positive HAART-naïve, 207 HIV-positive on HAART treatment and 94 HIV-negative controls. We measured blood pressure, abdominal circumference, weight and height, and fasting serum levels of glucose, insulin and lipids in all the subjects. The presence of lipodystrophy was assessed in the HAART-treated patients. In non-overweight subjects the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 15% (25 of 162) in HAART-treated patients, 2% (1 of 44) in HAART-naïve (p=0.019) and 2% (1 of 45) in controls (p=0.020). The prevalence of insulin resistance in non-overweight subjects was also higher in HAART-treated than in controls, 39% vs 18% (p=0.012) but similar to HAART-naïve, 32% (p = 0.48 vs HAART, p = 0.22 vs controls). In non-overweight patients with lipodystrophy the metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in 21% and insulin resistance in 49%. In the entire HAART group 25% had the metabolic syndrome and/or insulin resistance without having lipodystrophy. We conclude that fasting glucose, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure should be closely monitored in all HAART-treated patients, not only in overweighed or lipodystrophic individuals.