Hepatitis C is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in HIV-infected persons without traditional risk factors.

OBJECTIVES

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) monoinfection has been linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). We evaluated the effect of HCV on risk of DM in relation to traditional risk factors such as age, body mass index (BMI) and family history of DM in an HIV-infected population.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of 1529 HIV-infected out-patients. An adjusted multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the effect of HCV seropositivity on DM stratified by low and high propensity for DM based on age, BMI and family history.

RESULTS

Race, age, BMI, family history and HCV were associated with DM. Use of protease inhibitors (PIs) was not associated with DM, but HIV/HCV-coinfected patients were less likely to be on PIs than those with HIV infection alone. In a multivariate analysis controlled for race, the association between HCV and DM was stronger in lean, young patients without a family history of DM; the low-risk group. No association between HCV and type 2 DM was seen in patients who were older or overweight or had a family history of DM; the high-risk group. PI use did not affect the association between HCV and DM.

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatitis C is an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes in young, lean, HIV-infected patients. HIV-infected patients with HCV infection, regardless of whether they are on PIs, should be carefully screened for DM even if traditional risk factors for DM are not present.