How drinking changes gut bacteria and heart health in people with HIV
Official title: Alcohol assoCiated gut Dysbiosis and CVD in HIV (the AC/DC HIV study)
Funded at Brown University · NIH-11196102 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether alcohol-related changes in gut bacteria in people with HIV lead to more inflammation and higher heart disease risk.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $601,249 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA031640-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11196102 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV—especially those who drink alcohol at hazardous or heavy levels—are the group this work focuses on.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or those who do not drink alcohol are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will use stored stool and blood samples plus health records from people with HIV who have different drinking patterns. They will measure gut bacteria that make butyrate, levels of beneficial and harmful metabolites (like butyrate and TMAO), and blood markers of gut leak and inflammation. The team will link those measures to heart-related tests and later health outcomes, including signs of early heart disease and death. The work uses harmonized data from three existing HIV cohorts so no new long-term follow-up is required for participants in those groups.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to gut bacteria or metabolites to target for lowering heart disease risk in people with HIV who drink.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked gut bacteria changes to inflammation and heart disease, but applying this specifically to alcohol-related changes in people with HIV is relatively new.
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.