HIV and Co-Morbidity Research
Disparities for HIV-related Hypertension in African American and Asian Pacific American MSM (R01)
(MPI: Frank Wong; MPI: Grace X. Ma, PhD; Co-Ins: Gina Simoncini, MD and Crystal Gadegbeku, MD, funded by NIH)
The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased the life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWH). However, a multitude of comorbidities and coinfections are contributing to the mortality of people living with HIV, even while adhering to ART. For example, PLWH have a 2.5 increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease in comparison to the general uninfected population, and hypertension is considerably higher among HIV-positive individuals than HIV-negative individuals. Despite the research documenting that negative macro-social factors, such as racism, poverty, and social isolation, are contributing to a range of health disparities among ethnic minority populations, the systemic/individual determinants for the health co-morbidity among PLWH are not fully understood in the literature. This longitudinal study aims to elucidate multiple determinants (including behavioral, clinical, macro-social, and psychosocial factors) which contribute to hypertension in African American or Asian and Pacific American men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV/AIDS.