Gender-Based Comparison of Anthropometric and Hematological Parameters in Asymptomatic HIV Subjects at Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has posed a severe global issue with over thirty years of its epidemic. Nigeria is one of the African countries with higher number of HIV cases with over 1,700,000 cases in 2022. 43 adult female and 57 adult male asymptomatic HIV subjects, aged 18-65 years were randomly recruited at the voluntary counselling and Testing (VCT) Centre Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi. The anthropometric parameters such as Body Mass Index (BMI), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), and the hematological parameters such as CD4+ cell count, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), Hemoglobin (Hb), and Absolute Neutrophil (Ab.neu) were analyzed using routine laboratory analyses. The data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 21, independent Students’-test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare means. The SBP and DBP were significantly elevated in the female asymptomatic HIV subjects than in the male asymptomatic HIV subjects with p<0.05. There was no significant difference in the values of BMI, CD4+, WBC, ESR, Hb, and Ab.neu among the female and male asymptomatic HIV subjects with p>0.05. In conclusion, there are no difference in the hematological parameters.