Rutgers receives $3.6 million federal grant to study heart disease, diabetes and other health risks in older adults with HIV
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Middlesex County) — Rutgers University researchers have received a $3.6 million federal grant to study heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health conditions affecting adults ages 50 and older who are living with HIV.
The funding from the National Institutes of Health will support one of the largest and most comprehensive studies examining cardiovascular and metabolic health among older adults with HIV. Researchers will investigate chronic disease risks, identify gaps in recommended medical treatments and evaluate the safety and effectiveness of commonly prescribed medications.
Advances in HIV treatment have allowed people with the virus to live longer, but researchers say the aging population faces growing challenges related to chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease. Evidence about which treatments work best for older adults with HIV remains limited, particularly for patients managing multiple health conditions.
“We have made tremendous progress in helping people with HIV live longer, but the evidence guiding treatment of age-related conditions has not kept pace,” said Chintan Dave, a core member of the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. “Our study will help determine who is at greatest risk, where treatment gaps exist and which medications offer the greatest benefits with the fewest harms.”
Dave, the project’s lead principal investigator, will conduct the research alongside fellow principal investigator Stephanie Shiau, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health. The study is supported by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Researchers will analyze national Medicare records covering more than 45,000 older adults with HIV, along with large Medicaid and private health insurance databases. The information will allow them to examine health outcomes among adults ages 50 and older across different patient populations and health care settings.
The research will focus on identifying individuals at greater risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, determining whether patients are receiving recommended treatments and assessing how medications perform in everyday medical practice.
“As people with HIV live longer, we need to better understand the health challenges they face as they age,” Shiau said. “By studying a large and diverse population of adults with HIV, we hope to identify disparities in care and generate evidence that can help improve their long-term health.”
According to the researchers, older adults with HIV are often underrepresented in clinical trials, particularly those who have multiple chronic medical conditions. That lack of representation can make it difficult for health care providers to determine which treatments are most appropriate for patients with complex medical needs.
“Clinical trials often do not adequately represent older adults with HIV, particularly those managing multiple chronic conditions,” said Dave, who also is the director of the Center for Health Outcomes, Policy and Economics and an associate professor at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. “By studying how medications are used and how patients fare in everyday clinical practice, we hope to generate evidence that better reflects the patients and treatment decisions clinicians face in the real world.”
By examining large health insurance databases and real-world treatment outcomes, the research team hopes to provide a clearer understanding of how chronic diseases affect older adults living with HIV and whether existing medical treatments are meeting their needs.
The researchers said the findings could help patients, caregivers and health care professionals better understand the risks associated with chronic conditions and make more informed, evidence-based decisions about treatment.
The $3.6 million research grant is supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.
