Prevalence and factors associated with hyperglycemia among persons living with HIV/AIDS on dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy in Uganda

Background: Dolutegravir-based (DTG) regimens are rapidly becoming the preferred first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in low and middle-income countries. However, there are rising concerns over the development of hyperglycemia and, in some cases, diabetes mellitus in patients switched to DTG. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with hyperglycemia among PLHIV receiving DTG-based ART at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital (KNRH), Uganda. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The study was conducted in the inpatient wards and the infectious disease outpatient clinic of KNRH from May to July 2022. Participants aged ⩾18 years on a DTG-based ART regimen for at least 3 months were consecutively enrolled and interviewed using a research assistant administered questionnaire for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. HbA1c was measured using whole blood Architect Ci4100 ® (Abbott, Illinois, USA), with hyperglycemia defined using a cut-off of ⩾5.7% as per the Uganda Diabetes Association guidelines. Factors associated with hyperglycemia were examined through logistic regression, adjusting for pertinent confounders, in STATA 17. A significance level was set at p 40 years ( p 3 since diagnosis with HIV ( p = 0.030). At multivariable regression, only age >40 (AOR 2.55, 95% CI: 1.05–6.23, p = 0.039) and hypertension (AOR 2.93, 95% CI: 1.07–8.02, p = 0.036) remained significantly associated with hyperglycemia. Conclusion: More than 1 in 10 patients on DTG-based ART in our study had hyperglycemia. We recommend regular monitoring of plasma glucose, especially for patients >40 years old and those with other comorbidities, before starting/switching to DTG regimens. Longitudinal studies are recommended to determine the underlying mechanisms of hyperglycemia in this population.