Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence Among People Living With HIV: A Single-Center Study From Türkiye
Işılay Tanışman1, Nevin İnce1, Bekir Tunca1
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Düzce University Faculty of Medicine, Düzce, Türkiye.
Current HIV Research
|July 6, 2026
Summary
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is common in people living with HIV (PLWH), particularly those with lower CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts. Antiretroviral therapy regimens impact lipid profiles, with TDF-based treatments showing more favorable outcomes than TAF-based ones.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved survival for people living with HIV (PLWH), shifting focus to non-AIDS-related metabolic complications.
- Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a growing concern in PLWH, necessitating investigation into its prevalence and associated factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of MetS among PLWH.
- To examine the relationship between MetS and immunological status (CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts).
- To investigate the association between MetS and different antiretroviral treatment regimens.
Main Methods:
- Single-center cross-sectional study of 102 adults living with HIV.
- Data collected: sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory parameters.
- MetS defined by 2005 NCEP ATP III criteria; patients stratified by CD4+ counts and ART components (NRTI, INSTI).
Main Results:
- MetS prevalence was 37.3%, higher than the global average.
- MetS was significantly more frequent in patients with CD4+ counts <350 cells/mm³ (52.9%) vs. ≥350 cells/mm³ (29.4%).
- TDF-based ART regimens showed lower total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol compared to TAF-based regimens.
Conclusions:
- High MetS prevalence in PLWH highlights the need for early screening and monitoring.
- Lower CD4+ counts are associated with increased MetS risk, consistent with existing literature.
- ART drug selection is crucial for cardiometabolic risk management, with TDF-based regimens offering potential lipid profile benefits.
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