Program for Cardiometabolic Complications
Jason V. Baker, MD, MS
Director of Cardiometabolic Program
The goal of this program is to expand our understanding of cardiovascular injury and clinical risk associated with viral infections, with an emphasis on HIV and COVID-19. Our core focus is studying the effects of inflammation and immune activation on cardiometabolic complications, as well as age-related diseases more broadly. Concurrently, we aim to identify intervention strategies to improve cardiometabolic health and evaluate them within clinical trials.
Studies
Clinical and Immunologic Factors Underlying Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction among Persons with HIV in South Africa (‘PHIZA’)
The goal of this study is to expand our understanding of heart failure prevalence, phenotype and pathogenesis among persons living with HIV in South Africa. While the influence of HIV on heart failure risk has been described in high income countries, the clinical profile of cardiometabolic and infectious risk factors differs in low-to-middle income countries like South Africa. Standardized clinical echocardiogram (ECHO) will be used to estimate functional and structural cardiac abnormalities and adjudicate heart failure status. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) will be used to characterize the injury pattern of cardiac fibrosis among those with diastolic dysfunction and possible heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. In this study, approximately 1000 persons with HIV and 500 uninfected controls will be enrolled who are living in Khayelitsha township, outside of Cape Town, South Africa.
Optimization of a Behavioral Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Older Adults living with HIV (‘HiActivity’)
The long-term goal of this research is to develop an effective and efficient primary care intervention that increases lifestyle physical activity among older persons living with HIV. The current study is a randomized clinical trial designed to evaluate several behavioral interventions for their efficacy on improving physical activity as measured in ‘steps per day’ (the primary outcome). The goal is then to determine which components will be combined for a final optimized intervention package that will be studied in a large-scale definitive clinical trial. The study is being conducted at the HHRI (Minneapolis, MN) and Brown University (Providence, RI), where approximately 200 persons with HIV of age ≥50 years will be enrolled.
Immunologic Basis for Cardiac Injury after COVID-19 (‘COVID-CVD Study’)
The goal of this study is to characterize immune contributing to cardiac injury and long-term complications following severe COVID-19. We will characterize innate immune profiles during acute illness, as well as adaptive immune responses that develop overtime, and identify those that are associated with cardiac injury over the longer-term. Participants have blood specimens collected during acute COVID illness and during recovery, which undergo comprehensive immunophenotyping and measurement of proteomic profiles. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and additional functional cardiopulmonary assessments are then performed 1-2 years after recovery from acute illness. The study is being conducted at the HHRI and University of Minnesota, where over 100 participants with acute COVID-19 illness have been enrolled.
Key Investigators
