Gut microbes, alcohol use, and heart disease risk in people living with HIV
Microbiome, metabolites, and alcohol in HIV to reduce CVD Cohort (META HIV CVD Cohort)
This project will offer a probiotic to people living with HIV who drink heavily to try to improve gut bacteria, lower harmful gut-made molecules, and reduce heart disease risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169839 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have HIV, researchers will study how unhealthy alcohol use changes your gut bacteria and the chemicals those bacteria make. One part of the program gives a probiotic to try to reverse alcohol-associated gut dysbiosis and reduce bacterial leakage, inflammation, and harmful metabolites. Another part tracks levels of short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and TMAO in blood and stool to see whether they predict new heart disease and death over time. The team will collect biological samples and clinical data from participants at Vanderbilt and follow health outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV, particularly those who engage in unhealthy or heavy alcohol use, are the ideal candidates for this program.
Not a fit: People without HIV or those who do not have unhealthy alcohol use are unlikely to directly benefit from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to probiotic or metabolite-targeting approaches to lower heart disease risk in people living with HIV who drink heavily.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies link heavy drinking to gut dysbiosis and show probiotics can alter gut bacteria, but using probiotics to lower heart disease risk in people with HIV is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: So-Armah, Kaku — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: So-Armah, Kaku
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 below.