# URBAN ARCH (5/5) Boston Cohort - Alcohol and HIV-associated comorbidity and complications: Frailty, Functional impairment, Falls, and Fractures (the 4F study)

> **NIH NIH U01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2020 · $624,633

## Abstract

Up to a third of middle-aged people living with HIV infection (PLWH) experience falls each year. Falls are
the most common cause of non-fatal injury in the US and the cost from emergency department visits and
hospitalizations are enormous. PLWH are more susceptible to falls and their serious consequences because 1)
despite control of HIV viremia, inflammation persists and underlies HIV-associated comorbidities and
complications that occur at a relatively young age (so-called premature aging), 2) specific comorbidities (e.g.
neuropathy, osteoporosis) and complications (e.g. frailty and impaired physical function) make falls more
likely and recovery from them more difficult, 3) alcohol use exacerbates inflammation, and may increase risk
for comorbidities and complications, and 4) alcohol use, illicit drug use and polypharmacy can increase the
likelihood of a fall. Despite this, fall prevention has not been extensively studied among PLWH. We need
interventions to address falls in PLWH but none have been tailored for this population. Understanding risk
factors and targets for intervention among PLWH are essential; cohort studies can provide the information
needed for intervention development.
 This proposal is part the Consortia for HIV/AIDS and Alcohol-Related Research Trials (CHAART). It
describes the continuation and expansion of a cohort that is one of three in the Uganda Russia Boston Alcohol
Network for Alcohol Research Collaboration on HIV/AIDS (URBAN ARCH). The URBAN ARCH theme is to
address consequences of alcohol use on HIV-associated comorbidities and complications to increase treatment
availability and improve outcomes. In line with that theme we propose to continue to follow and expand (to
400) an existing cohort of PLWH and a high prevalence of exposure to alcohol, illicit drugs, and polypharmacy
(the Boston ARCH Cohort) in the Frailty, Functional impairment, Falls, and Fractures (4F study) to: (in 2 Primary
Aims) 1) Test the associations between alcohol (and illicit drugs and polypharmacy) and falls (fractures
secondarily); and 2) Test the associations between alcohol (and illicit drugs and polypharmacy) and acute
healthcare utilization (emergency department use and hospitalization for falls and fractures). We will also
examine the role frailty plays in these associations between alcohol, drugs and medications and the
aforementioned clinical and utilization outcomes. In Exploratory Aims we will test associations between
alcohol use and inflammatory markers, and between markers and HIV-associated complication outcomes
(4Fs); and develop and pilot test the feasibility of a falls prevention intervention tailored to address the
identified risk factors (e.g. alcohol, illicit drugs, polypharmacy) in this population. By achieving these aims we
will gain substantially greater understanding of these comorbidities and complications in PLWH exposed to
alcohol and other psychoactive substances; this knowledge will serve to inform the development o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10003110
- **Project number:** 5U01AA020784-10
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Timothy C. Heeren
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $624,633
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-09-20 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10003110

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10003110, URBAN ARCH (5/5) Boston Cohort - Alcohol and HIV-associated comorbidity and complications: Frailty, Functional impairment, Falls, and Fractures (the 4F study) (5U01AA020784-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10003110. Licensed CC0.

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