Probiotic approach to lower heart disease risk for people with HIV who drink alcohol
Administrative, Education, and Analytic Support Core
This project tests whether a targeted probiotic can improve gut health and reduce inflammation to lower heart disease risk in people living with HIV who consume alcohol.
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-11169829 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to join a program that includes a randomized trial giving a probiotic designed for alcohol-related gut changes to people living with HIV. Researchers will collect stool and blood samples to measure gut bacteria, markers of microbial leakage, inflammation, and metabolites. The team will follow participants' health over time and link the lab findings to heart disease and death outcomes using the Veterans Aging Cohort. The program also combines lab cores and trainee support to make sure the tests and analyses are done carefully.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV who regularly consume alcohol—particularly veterans enrolled in the Veterans Aging Cohort or patients who can attend Vanderbilt study visits—are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without HIV, those who do not drink alcohol, or individuals with medical issues that make taking probiotics unsafe are unlikely to benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lower inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease and death for people living with HIV who drink alcohol.
How similar studies have performed: Some smaller studies have shown probiotics can change gut microbes and reduce inflammation, but using a probiotic to prevent heart disease in people with HIV is a newer, unproven approach.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Freiberg, Matthew S — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Freiberg, Matthew S
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.