# Research Training for Substance Use Mediated HIV Epidemic in Kazakhstan

> **NIH NIH D43** · SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $100,000

## Abstract

Limited knowledge exists about cardiovascular health and cardiovascular disease (CVD)
and aging among people living with HIV infection (PLWH) in the Eastern European and
Central Asia (EECA) region including Kazakhstan (KZ). The intersection of CVD with the HIV
care continuum has never been estimated in KZ and the EECA, and not evaluated among
PLWH who are living to older ‘at risk’ ages. To mitigate adverse effects of CVD on the HIV
care continuum, the prevalence of CVD and other aging-related risk factors in PLWH must
be estimated and characterized across the HIV care continuum. This application is a
supplement to the ongoing Fogarty HIV Research Training Grant. We will train one Early-
Stage Investigator (ESI) by accomplishing two Aims. Aim 1 includes advanced didactic
training in epidemiology, biostatistics and data management and data entry platforms, with
emphases on CVD and aging epidemiology and implementation science. Aim 2 consists of
hands-on implementation of a cross-sectional pilot study to measure CVD risk, HIV factors
and aging-related factors to improve understanding of the surging ‘HIV + Noncommunicable
disease (NCD)’ care continuum in KZ. The pilot study has two sub Aims. Aim 2a estimates
the prevalence of HIV-related variables (viral load, CD4+ count, VACS Index) and CVD risk
among a sample of 150 PLWH who are >40 years in KZ. CVD risk includes overweight and
obesity, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake,
and history of cardio-, cerebro-, and peripheral vascular events. Aim 2b evaluates CVD risk
with stratification by HIV severity, HCV coinfection, injection drug use, age, sex at birth,
gender, and consideration of CVD risk scores. Our hypothesis is that CVD risk is higher
among Kazakh PLWH compared to PLWH in high income countries, and that this risk is
higher among those who are HCV co-infected, injection drug users, older in age, and male.
This innovative combination of advanced didactic plus hands-on research training of one
Kazakh ESI is the first in KZ and the EECA region. Among aging PLWH we will use
standardized and validated clinical and blood-based biomarker approaches to assess CVD
risk in combination with HIV-related factors. This training is achievable in one year. Pilot
study results will inform development of interventions to reduce CVD risk factors related to
the HIV+NCDs care continuum among PLWH in KZ, and prospective observational studies
designed to compare aging processes between PLWH and people without HIV infection. The
Kazakh ESI will attain a highly strategic research skillset in both communicable and NCD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10650068
- **Project number:** 3D43TW010046-07S1
- **Recipient organization:** SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Jack A DeHovitz
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $100,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-04-15 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10650068

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10650068, Research Training for Substance Use Mediated HIV Epidemic in Kazakhstan (3D43TW010046-07S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10650068. Licensed CC0.

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