Dyslipidaemia and Its Correlates Among People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Yenagoa, Southern Nigeria

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality linked to dyslipidaemia because of plasma lipids alterations. Understanding the magnitude of dyslipidaemia and its correlates is essential for the CVD risk reduction in this population. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence and types of dyslipidaemia, sociodemographic, lifestyle characteristics and selected comorbidities among PLWHA in Yenagoa, Southern Nigeria. This is a cross-sectional study among 278 PLWHA, aged 18 years and above receiving the HIV-laboratory services of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa from March through April 2017. We collected respondents’ sociodemographic data, lifestyle characteristics and selected comorbidities using an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire adapted from the WHO STEPS instrument. We collected venous blood and assayed for Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), and High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) using Selectra ProS Chemistry Analyzer and calculated Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) with Friedewald formula. We measured height and weight and calculated for body mass index, and retrieved CD4+ T-cell count results from the HIV-laboratory workbook. We analyzed the data with Epi Info 7.2 and did a multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with dyslipidaemia at 95% confidence level. Respondents mean age was 40.0±8.8 years, 104 (37.4%) were aged 35-44 years, 192 (69.1%) were females and 152 (54.7%) were married or living with a partner. The prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 48.6%. Seventy-six (27.3%) of the respondents had decreased HDL-C as the most prevalent type of dyslipidaemia. Those engaged in harmful alcohol intake were 26 (9.4%), smokers 28 (10.1%), hypertensive 52 (18.7%) while 244 (87.8%) were on antiretroviral therapy. Predictors of dyslipidaemia were age 45-64 years [AOR=2.43 (95%CI: 1.20-4.92)], being married or living with a partner [AOR=1.72 (95%CI: 1.01-2.91)] and being physically inactive and overweight or obese [POR=5.71 (95%CI: 1.76-18.51)]. This study showed that dyslipidaemia was common among the PLWHA in Yenagoa, Nigeria, with decreased HDL-C as the most prevalent type. Being older than 45 years, married or living with a partner or being physically inactive and overweight or obese appears to be the major predictors of dyslipidaemia. There is a need to sustain the lifestyle counselling and laboratory monitoring of lipids among the PLWHA in Yenagoa, Southern Nigeria.