Publications by authors named "G Kirk"

People living with HIV are at higher risk of heart failure and associated left atrial remodeling compared to people without HIV. Mechanisms are unclear but have been linked to inflammation and premature aging. Here we obtain plasma proteomics concurrently with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in two independent study populations to identify parallels between HIV-related and aging-related immune dysfunction that could contribute to atrial remodeling and clinical heart failure.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic may have disproportionally impacted vulnerable groups such as people who inject drugs (PWID) through reduced healthcare services as well as social changes from pandemic mitigation measures. Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation strategies subsequently changed the trajectory of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV transmission is critical to estimating disease burdens, identifying outbreak risk, and developing informed intervention strategies.

Methods: Using behavioral data from the AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) study, an ongoing community-based cohort of PWID in Baltimore, USA, and an individual-based network model, we explored the impacts of service disruptions combined with changes in social networks and injecting behaviors of PWID on HCV and HIV transmission.

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Article Synopsis
  • Socioeconomic status (SES) affects the well-being of people living with HIV (PWH), and using area-level SES indicators can help when individual data isn't available.
  • ZIP code-level SES indicators were found to relate to viral suppression rates, and racial disparities in viral suppression narrowed by 3%-4% when accounting for SES factors.
  • This study suggests that including ZIP code-based SES can enhance understanding of how social determinants and racial disparities impact health outcomes for PWH.
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Background: Inadequate sleep is associated with all-cause mortality in the general population. Substance use has adverse effects on sleep, and insomnia symptoms are common among people with HIV. Therefore, persons who inject drugs may face a heightened risk of adverse outcomes from inadequate sleep.

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Introduction: Calls for a 'major rethinking' of the delivery of healthcare services are echoed across Canada as the healthcare crisis continues. Proposed strategies to address the challenges of this crisis include: a transdisciplinary approach that is patient-focused and community-based; a representative team composed of patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, decision makers and policymakers; and authentic collaboration among stakeholder groups throughout the research cycle.

Objective: This study aimed to enable community members to take on a leading role in building capacity and to provide a space for discourse among diverse groups while respecting community wisdom, values and priorities.

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