The patients with HIV infection have an increased risk of developing diabetesThese results emanated from a recent study, published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

The study conducted by Hernandez-Romieu and colleagues, reported that the prevalence of diabetes was 3.8% higher among HIV patients when compared to the general population. The prevalence was 5% higher in women when compared to men.

The burden of diabetes among HIV infected patients was reported to be higher in younger patients. The prevalence rate was 4.1% higher in the age group of 20-44 years. The researcher suggests prior examination of blood glucose levels i.e., fasting blood glucose and HbA1C levels, before the start of anti-retroviral therapy.

In a study among patients, 3.9% patients were suffering from type-1 diabetes, 52.3% patients were suffering from type-2 diabetes and 43.8% people were recognized with unspecified diabetes.

The exact link between diabetes and HIV was not known.  But HIV was known to increase because of two reasons, increase in the chronic inflammation levels and exposure to antiretroviral therapy, both of which were associated with insulin resistance.