How HIV and simvastatin affect outcomes in people with cirrhosis
Prospective evaluation of outcomes in cirrhosis of different etiologies: impact of HIV infection and simvastatin therapy
This project looks at whether having HIV and taking simvastatin change health outcomes for adults with cirrhosis from different causes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169705 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have cirrhosis, researchers will follow you over time to see how your disease progresses depending on its cause (for example, alcohol-related or fatty liver) and whether you have HIV. The project will also test whether simvastatin affects muscle loss, physical frailty, liver complications, and liver cancer risk. Study visits will include clinical exams, muscle and strength measurements, and collection of blood and stool samples to study the gut microbiome and metabolites. All participants will be tracked for hospitalizations, liver decompensation, and other important outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with diagnosed cirrhosis—particularly from alcohol-related liver disease or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease—and people living with HIV would be the best candidates.
Not a fit: People without cirrhosis or those with medical reasons they cannot take statins are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help slow liver damage, reduce frailty and muscle loss, and lower the risk of complications like decompensation or liver cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous smaller studies and database analyses have suggested statins and microbiome changes may help liver outcomes, but a large prospective effort combining cirrhosis cause, HIV status, and sarcopenia/frailty outcomes is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dasarathy, Srinivasan — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Dasarathy, Srinivasan
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.