Aging and Aging-Related NCDs in HIV Population

Abstract

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly improved life expectancy of people living with HIV (PLWH), with an obvious ageing trend in HIV population. Meanwhile, persistent immunodeficiency, inflammatory activation, side-effect of antiretroviral drugs, psychiatric stress, sleep disorder and unhealthy lifestyle all together induced early/premature and accelerated ageing, as well as high risks non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular and cerebral diseases, malignant tumors, chronic liver diseases and chronic kidney diseases, which have become the major causes of death in HIV population. Over the past decade, we have established the Comparative HIV and Ageing Research in Taizhou (CHART) cohort, a unique cohort with both HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants, which aims to prospectively examine the incidence and risk factors of premature aging and ageing-related NCDs in HIV population, as well as biomarkers, mechanisms and intervention strategy of comorbid NCDs by employing cutting-edge technologies such as genomics, proteomics and metabolomics.

Speaker

Na He, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology and Dean of School of Public Health, Fudan University

Dr. Na He has extensive research and implementation experience in HIV epidemiology, prevention and intervention and has served as consultant for China Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Response Program (China CARES) since 2004. He is the pioneer in evaluating and scaling up treatment as prevention (TasP) strategy among HIV-serodiscordant couples and men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Currently Dr. He’s major research interests are in aging and aging-related non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) among people with HIV (PWH). Dr. He has been PI or Co-PI for over 30 research grants including NIH/R01 projects, and leads the Comparative HIV and Aging Research in Taizhou (CHART) cohort which employs epidemiological and multiomics approaches to investigate risk factors and mechanisms of aging and aging-related NCDs in PWH. He has over 400 peer-reviewed publications including Lancet HIV, Lancet Healthy Longevity, Cell, JAMA, EBioMedicine, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, American Journal of Epidemiology, and AIDS. Dr. He holds key positions in a number of national academic and scientific societies in China, including Fellow of Disciplinary Evaluation Group of National Academic Committee of State Council, President of Chinese Public Health Education Association, Vice President of Chinese Epidemiological Association, and Vice Director of Public Health Branch of Chinese Medical Association. Dr. He received MBBS and MSc from Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, China, PhD in epidemiology from UCLA, and training in molecular biology in Hadassah Medical School of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel.