Effect of Dolutegravir on Plasma Glucose Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients in a Community Health Center Setting

Background Dolutegravir has become one of the initial backbones in antiretroviral therapy regimens for most patients with HIV in several recent clinical guidelines. However, dolutegravir has been associated with severe cases of hyperglycemia and the new-onset of diabetes in multiple case reports and clinical trials. A community health center noticed an increasing number of new-onset hyperglycemia incidences in patients on dolutegravir. Method Retrospective chart review of patients who started on dolutegravir or dolutegravir combination regimen (Triumreq (R), Juluca (R), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Research Triangle Park, NC) between the dates of January 1st, 2013 and January 1st, 2018 who have been treated in community healthcare centers. Baseline blood sugar and/or hemoglobin A1C before starting dolutegravir, at three to six months of treatment, and at the end of the study were compared between subjects. Four hundred twenty-two subjects were enrolled. Results Dolutegravir had little effect on plasma glucose among 72% of the subjects (n=305). However, 7% of the subjects (n=28) on dolutegravir treatment with no glucose intolerance met the criteria for prediabetes at three to six months of therapy. One of the subjects had developed diabetes three to six months after dolutegravir was initiated. In addition, at the end of the study, 13% of patients developed prediabetes (n=56) and 1.4% developed diabetes (n=6). Among the 24 subjects that had diabetes before dolutegravir was initiated, 83% required intensification of their diabetes regimen. Conclusion Dolutegravir may cause a moderate increase in plasma sugar after three to six months of therapy. Further increases in plasma sugar have been noticed in up to 13% of subjects meeting the criteria for prediabetes. Due to the existence of confounding variables, patients with diabetes should not be switched from dolutegravir.