The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is higher among people with HIV, especially minorities. Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston Assistant Professor Veronica Brady, PhD, FNP-BC, wants to explore the reasons why and to develop interventions to help.

Brady will use a new $50,000 pilot grant from the Texas Development Center for AIDS Research (TX D-CFAR) to learn more about this population and the factors at play through her study, “Barriers to Attainment of Glycemic Outcomes in Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Type 2 Diabetes.”

“We want to learn as much as we can about the experience of minorities with both HIV and diabetes so we can find ways to improve the attainment of glycemic targets and health outcomes,” Brady said.

Antiretroviral therapy medications used to treat HIV – especially older drugs – may contribute to waistline weight gain (central adiposity) and development of diabetes. In addition, patients living with both diseases may find the diet, lifestyle, and treatment regime necessary to control blood glucose more daunting than maintaining HIV drug adherence, Brady noted.

Previously, Brady studied patients with depression as well as HIV and Type 2 diabetes. She found depression was well managed in her study cohort and did not seem to affect diabetes outcomes. However, she suspects that social determinants of health may play a role in poor diabetes outcomes.

In the new study, Brady’s team will retrospectively review charts of patients at Harris Health System’s Thomas Street at Quentin Mease Health Center to assess the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among minorities with HIV and discern variations by age, race, and sex assigned at birth. Her team will then compare A1c and blood glucose levels among people with Type 2 diabetes only to those with Type 2 diabetes and HIV.

In addition, Brady will recruit 40 patients to complete wide-ranging surveys and interviews about their HIV symptoms, diabetes distress, social support, and other issues related to social determinants of health.

“My goal is to use what we learn from this project to inform a larger study and develop interventions to help improve outcomes and quality of life for minorities with HIV and Type 2 diabetes,” Brady said.

Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FAAN, serves as co-director of the TX D-CFAR and of its Developmental Core, Mentoring Program, and Substance Use Scientific Working Group. The Developmental Core helps investigators get a foothold in HIV-related research through mentoring, grant-writing assistance, pilot funding, and other support services.

“This grant is the latest example of Cizik School of Nursing’s productive collaboration with the Developmental Core,” she said. “It is imperative that we support early-stage investigators like Dr. Brady in designing and testing innovative solutions to persistent issues and for HIV prevention and care.”