(P23-032-23) Associations Between Antidepressant Use and Fasting Blood Glucose Levels in People Living With and Without HIV

Objectives: As a result of controversial findings and limited research on antidepressant use and fasting blood glucose (FBG), we explored this question in a large cohort of people living with HIV(PLWH) and those living without HIV.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the ongoing Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) cohort. Sociodemographic, antidepressant use, tobacco use, and alcohol use were self-reported. Body mass index (BMI) (kg/m²) was calculated from measured height and weight and fasting blood samples were collected by trained personnel. Viral load and CD4 cell count were abstracted from medical records. FBG was determined by LabCorp (Burlington, NC). A t-test was used to compare FBG levels between users of ≥2 antidepressants and non-users. Hypoglycemia was defined as FBG levels ≤90 ug/dL and hyperglycemia as FBG >126 mg/dl. Chi-square tests were utilized to assess if FBG was related with antidepressant use. Linear and Logistic regression was performed to determine the association between antidepressant use and odds of hypoglycemia using race, ethnicity, alcohol, and tobacco as covariates.

Results: A total of 1,034 participants were included in the analysis. Mean age was 54.6±7.9 years, 58% were male, and 46.8% were people living with HIV (PLWH). Over 18% of participants reported taking one antidepressant and 3.3% reported using ≥2. Mean glucose levels were 97.68 ug/dL. There were no differences in VL and CD4 cell count between PLWH who used antidepressants and those who did not. Participants using ≥2 antidepressants had significantly lower FBG levels compared to non-users (89.12 ug/dL, 98.51ug/dL; p=0.002). However, there was not a statistically significant linear association between antidepressant use and FBG (β=-3.95, SE= 2.88, p=0.170). Also, ≥2 antidepressant use was not associated with greater odds of hypoglycemia (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 0.742-3.576, p=0.224). 

Conclusions: As evidenced by some literature, prescribed antidepressants are associated with lowering FBG. Yet, regression models did not observe a statistically significant association between antidepressant use and FBG. Further research is needed to determine the factors that may be influencing glucose levels in individuals using antidepressants.

Funding Sources: Florida International University