How Lp(a) levels affect heart and artery disease risk in people with HIV
Official title: Lipoprotein (a) Modification of the Impact of HIV Infection on Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11166455 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether higher levels of a blood lipid called Lp(a) raise the chance of heart and artery disease for people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $713,464 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL176322-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11166455 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV, particularly those already enrolled in the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) or receiving care at participating clinics, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or those whose cardiovascular risk is driven mainly by unrelated causes may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use repeated heart and artery imaging and stored blood samples from long-running HIV cohorts to find the Lp(a) levels linked to more artery disease. They will compare results across racial groups because Lp(a) tends to be higher in Black people. The team will test two biological ideas for why Lp(a) might be harmful in HIV — one involving oxidized fats carried by Lp(a) and another involving inflammation signals like IL-6 — by studying patients' blood in the lab. Results are intended to help guide who might benefit from future treatments that lower Lp(a).
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors better predict and reduce heart disease risk in people living with HIV by guiding future Lp(a)-lowering therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked Lp(a) to heart disease in the general population, but applying these approaches specifically to people with HIV is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Leucker, Thorsten M — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Leucker, Thorsten M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Lp(a) and HIV: Understanding Heart Disease Risk in HIV Patients
This program looks at how Lipoprotein(a) contributes to higher heart disease risk in people with HIV and what Lp(a) levels mean for future treatments.
-
How lipoprotein(a) affects heart disease risk in people with HIV
This study is looking at how levels of a substance called lipoprotein(a) might affect the heart health of people living with HIV, especially since chronic inflammation can play a role, and it will also explore differences in these levels between Black and White individuals.
-
Understanding how genetic changes in blood cells relate to heart disease in people with HIV
A study will look at how age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosomal changes might contribute to heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
-
Integrative model of metabolites, equol, and heart disease
This grant looks at how a person’s body processes soy isoflavones into equol and how that relates to atherosclerotic heart disease, using complex data to build predictive models.
-
PVAT and arteries: why some vessels resist plaque
Aims to understand how fat tissue around arteries influences atherosclerosis, especially why the left internal mammary artery stays healthy while others don’t.
-
How T cell genes and signals affect atherosclerosis
This grant studies how a specific immune cell and its signals influence atherosclerosis in people, aiming to uncover new ways to reduce inflammation and heart disease risk.
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.