Incidence of Diabetic Mellitus among HIV Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Ethiopia: Ten Years Retrospective Follow-up Study

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important chronic comorbid condition that occurs in people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Many cases of comorbidities with diabetes mellitus have been reported, particularly in areas of the world where the prevalence of HIV is high. The rate of diabetes hospitalizations among HIV-infected individuals increased from 3.9 to 8.4 per 100 hospitalizations. Although the cost of HIV care has increased, the burden of DM among people living with HIV has economic consequences. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the incidence of DM among HIV patients receiving ART in the Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Methods: Ten years retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 268 HIV patients receiving ART at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital. HIV patients receiving ART between January 01/2013 and Dec 31/2022 were enrolled in this study. A systematic sampling technique was used to select patients’ medical charts. Data were extracted from the patients’ medical chart records from March 21 to March 23, 2023, using a data extraction format. Data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6.0.0, and exported to STATA version 14.2 for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 268 medical charts of HIV patients receiving ART were included in the final analysis, which provided a response rate of 98.52%. The mean age of participants was 38.17 years. Among 268 HIV patients followed for 10 years, 142 (52.99%) were female, 33(49.63%) were aged between 30-40 years. Approximately 154 (57.46%) of them were urban residents. The incidence density rate (IDR) of DM in the cohort of HIV patients receiving ART during 1291.33 person-year observation was 6.20 per 1000 [95% CI: 3.10, 12.39] person-years. The cumulative incidence proportion of DM among HIV patients receiving ART was 2.99% [95% CI: 1.49, 5.88] within the 10 years follow-up period. Conclusion: The incidence of DM among HIV patients receiving ART was relatively high. It is important to emphasize HIV patients receiving ART for early screening of DM among these patients.