Burden and determinants of hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia in Zimbabwean adults living with HIV on dolutegravir-based first-line antiretroviral therapy: A cross-sectional study

Background

Dolutegravir (DTG)-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) is now the preferred first-line regimen for people living with HIV (PLWH) globally, including in Zimbabwe, which has an estimated adult HIV prevalence of 12.9%. While DTG offers a high genetic barrier to resistance and favourable tolerability, it has been linked to metabolic abnormalities - including abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and impaired glucose regulation - that cluster together and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Data on this burden remain limited in Zimbabwe. We conducted an exploratory, hypothesis-generating cross-sectional study to estimate the burden of hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia, and to identify their correlates, among PLWH on first-line DTG-based ART.