HIV/AIDS and diabetes: minimizing risk, optimizing care.

Recent literature about diabetes and disorders of glucose metabolism in people with HIV/AIDS contains conflicting messages. Some studies indicate an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (generally referred to simply as “diabetes”) in people taking HAART, specifically protease inhibitors (PIs). Other studies indicate that nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are the culprit. It is clear that traditional risk factors for diabetes, such as family history of the disease, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle, are important in people with HIV. Other issues, such as the role of fat deposition abnormalities, HIV/hepatitis C coinfection, and dyslipidemia (a metabolic disorder), require further investigation.