Lipid profile of HIV/AIDS patients attending antiretroviral clinic in Zaria, North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Nigeria, the tenth most populous country in the world and the most populous country in sub-Saharan Africa, has the second highest population of people living with HIV, after South Africa. A variety of endocrinologic, metabolic and nutritional disturbances are common during the course of HIV infection. Most HIV/AIDS patients develop multiple metabolic abnormalities including insulin resistance, lipodystrophy and dyslipidemia leading to increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Objective: To assess the lipid profile of HIV/AIDS patients attending antiretroviral (ARV) clinic in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Fifty HIV-seropositive patients on ARV therapy, 50 ARV-naοve HIV patients and also 50 HIV-negative controls were assessed for lipid profile status and CD4 count. BMI of all participants was calculated. Data obtained were analysed using SPSS 15.0. A P- value ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The mean values of lipid profile showed a significantly higher total cholesterol (P < 0.01) and HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001) in HIV-positive patients on ARV therapy compared with ARV-naïve patients and controls. There was a positive significant correlation between CD4 count and total cholesterol as well as between CD4 count and LDL-cholesterol in patients on ARV therapy. A negative significant correlation was found between CD4 count and triglyceride in ARV-naïve patients. Atherogenic index was significantly lower (P < 0.01) in HIV-positive patients on ARV therapy. Conclusion: HIV infection leads to dyslipidemia which is probably worsened by ARV therapy; however, these dyslipidemia did not constitute CVD risk.