Heart and metabolic health in older South African communities
Project 2 - Cardiometabolic Disease in HAALSI
This project follows older adults in South Africa to learn how heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and related risks affect people as they age, including those living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11115829 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of the HAALSI group where researchers follow older adults in rural South Africa over many years. They collect measures like blood pressure, blood tests, records of heart attacks or strokes, and cognitive tests to track diabetes, heart disease, and memory changes. The team compares people with and without HIV to understand how infection and its treatment interact with cardiometabolic risks. They also document hospital events and new diagnoses to estimate how common acute events are and how those events relate to later memory problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are older adults living in the HAALSI study communities in rural South Africa, including people with HIV or at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, or cognitive decline.
Not a fit: People who do not live in the HAALSI catchment area, younger individuals without cardiometabolic risk, or anyone not enrolled in the cohort would not be able to participate or directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide better prevention, care, and resource planning for heart disease, diabetes, and dementia among older adults in South Africa, including people with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Other long-term population cohorts have linked cardiometabolic risk to dementia and chronic disease, but HAALSI is among the first large studies focused on aging and cardiometabolic disease in rural South Africa, so many findings are new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tollman, Stephen — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Tollman, Stephen
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.