HIV patients face increased risk of diabetes and dementia

A study published in the Journal of AIDS reports that HIV patients who develop diabetes as a result are more prone to developing HIV-associated dementia also. Researchers state that higher fasting glucose levels are responsible for the increased risk of dementia and it is thus imperative that optimal blood sugar control is achieved in AIDS patients who have diabetes. Research results from another study found that diabetes produced a trebled risk of dementia in people without HIV. Unrelated studies report that 15% of HIV patients develop dementia and up to 30% develop some signs of neurological impairment. Other studies have found that the prevalence of diabetes was 2.11 times higher in HIV patients not taking HAART and 5.36 times higher in those taking HAART compared to healthy men. More research needs to be done to determine the mechanism by which HIV patients are more prone to dementia and diabetes.