Alcohol and HIV: Gut Imbalance Linked to Heart Disease
Official title: Alcohol assoCiated gut Dysbiosis and CVD in HIV (the AC/DC HIV study)
Funded at Brown University · NIH-11382215 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at Brown University will look at how drinking alcohol in people with HIV changes gut bacteria and may raise the risk of heart problems and death.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $601,249 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA031640-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382215 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV who consume alcohol and have available data/biospecimens from the mentioned cohorts.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or those who do not drink may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
If you have HIV and drink heavily, your gut bacteria could shift in ways that cause more inflammation and harmful metabolites. The researchers will use existing data and biospecimens from three large studies to see which gut bacteria drop when alcohol is involved and how this relates to markers of heart health. They will focus on butyrate-producing bacteria, microbial translocation, inflammation, and metabolites like TMAO to understand the pathway to heart disease. This work could help identify targets to reduce cardiovascular risk in people living with HIV who drink.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to better strategies to prevent heart disease in people with HIV who drink.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research links alcohol, gut health, and cardiovascular risk, but this project leverages harmonized data to clarify mechanisms in HIV.
Where this research is happening
-
Brown University
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Monnig, Mollie a — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Monnig, Mollie a
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.