Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) identifies individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Little is known about MS and its consequences following initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Methods: HIV-infected adults (881) initiating ART were evaluated for prevalence and incidence of MS and subsequent diagnosis of CVD and T2DM over a 3-year period. MS was defined by criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Third Report; ATP-III) or of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
Results: The prevalence of baseline MS was 8.5% and 7.8% (ATP-III and IDF, respectively). During follow-up, 234 (12/100 patient-years) (ATP-III) and 178 (8/100 patient-years) (IDF) progressed to MS. MS at baseline had a borderline association with increased risk of CVD [ATP-III: hazard ratio (HR), 2.56; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-7.60; P = 0.095; IDF: HR, 2.89; 95% CI, 0.98-8.63; P = 0.058] and was significantly associated with an increased risk of T2DM (ATP-III: HR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.83-10.25; P = 0.001; IDF: HR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.35-8.17; P = 0.009). Incident MS was significantly associated with an increased risk of both CVD (ATP-III: HR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.07-6.96; P = 0.036; IDF: HR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.20-7.75; P = 0.019) and T2DM (ATP-III: HR, 4.89; 95% CI, 2.22-10.78; P < 0.0001; IDF: HR, 4.84; 95% CI, 2.20-10.64; P < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Substantial progression to MS occurs within 3 years following initiation of ART. Since baseline and incident MS identifies individuals at risk for subsequent CVD and T2DM, it warrants evaluation in patients commencing ART.