Abstract
Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the established medical treatment for individuals diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Studies indicate a notable occurrence of dyslipidemia and anemia in populations affected by HIV, where disease progression and immunosuppression contribute to hematological deficiencies. Despite these risks, there have been inadequate studies to definitively ascertain whether the side effects of ART are the cause, or if it is the HIV infection itself that leads to these conditions in individuals who are living with HIV. This study seeks to explore the fundamental factors that lead to the onset of anemia and dyslipidemia in individuals impacted by HIV.
Methods: A total of fifty participants were recruited; twenty-five subjects who had been on ART for at least six months, and twenty-five controls who were treatment-naive but were living with HIV. The lipid profile and hematological parameters were examined in blood samples using test kits and an autoanalyzer, respectively.
Results: The results indicated a notable reduction (p<0.05) in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), red blood cell (RBC) counts, hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) among individuals with HIV/AIDS undergoing ART in comparison to the treatment-naive control group.
Conclusion: From this study, we may conclude that ART contributes to ART-associated dyslipidemia and is also implicated in the incidence of anemia.
Keywords
Antiretroviral therapy, Lipids, Hematology, Dyslipidemia, HIV/AIDS, Anemia