Grant to study the impact of alcohol-use disorder on progression of dental disease in MSM with HIV
Despite successful antiretroviral therapy (ART), dental caries and periodontal disease remain more prevalent in persons with HIV (PWHIV) than those without HIV. Pain, xerostomia, lower quality of life, and impaired masticatory functions lead to reduced nutritional intake, which can increase HIV progression and amplify systemic co-morbidities. In Lima, Peru, HIV prevalence is 100-fold higher in men who have sex with men (MSM) relative to the general population (22.3% vs 0.2%), a proportion comparable to generalized epidemics in Sub-Saharan countries. Prior data confirms high levels (55%) of alcohol use disorder (AUD) which is defined as hazardous, harmful and dependent drinking, a co-morbid NCD, among MSM in Peru.
Men’s health is often neglected in global health research according in the January/February 2022 Global Health Matters newsletter through Global Fogarty International Center. There have been significant improvements in global health over the past few decades with many of those advancements focus on maternal and child health. The collaborative research between the UW School of Dentistry and the DeRouen Center for Global Health (PI Dr. Ana Lucia Seminario, and Drs. Philippe Hujoel, Brian Leroux, Noel Weiss, and Caroline Shiboski – University of California San Fancisco), Yale University (Co-PI Dr. Fredrick Altice), Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Biomédicas y Medioambientales (CITBM) (Dr. Jorge Sanchez), and Asociación Civil Impacta Salud y Educación (IMPACTA) (Dr. Javier Valencia) will address the oral health implications of MSM living with HIV.
In April, the DeRouen research team will visit the CITBM and IMPACTA clinics in Lima Peru to discuss and begin to implement the first phase of the study. The Peruvian research teams will administer a survey to their MSM patients and assess past and current alcohol consumption behavioral risk, use of dental care services as well as knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards oral health. The Peruvian team, UW team, and Yale team have begun the preliminary work for the launch of the of study in April 2022. These processes and procedures being developed will be used as part of the planning of a future R01 submission that aims to assess the impact of HIV and AUD on dental disease in Peruvian MSM.