Screening for diabetes mellitus and humanimmunodefiency virus infection in personswith tuberculosis

Introduction. Nigeria is a country saddled with a high tubercu- losis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden but the possible combination of these communicable diseases with diabetes mellitus (DM) has been overlooked. We undertook to determine the burden of HIV and DM in persons with TB by docu- menting the prevalence rates of these disorders. Methods. This is a cross-sectional Study that was conducted within 54TB/DOT centers in Lagos State. A total of 3,376 persons with TB who were on antiTB drugs were screened for HIV and DM using standardized tests. Statistical analysis was performed using Students t test and chi square. Results. The frequency of occurrence of DM in TB and that of HIV in TB were comparable (4.8% Vs 3.5%). The Study subjects with DM were older, had higher waist circumference measure- ments and had higher proportions of hypertension compared to the subjects without DM. The combination of HIV and DM in TB was found in (0.3%). We also noted that DM in TB and HIV in TB occurred more frequently in the third and fourth decades of life. Conclusion. This study demonstrated the potential co existence of HIV, DM and Tuberculosis. It is therefore important that these two diseases are sought for in patients with TB considering the changing epidemiology of these diseases particularly in develop- ing countries like Nigeria