ArticleFrontiers in immunology2026
Interactions between betaine, insulin resistance, and cognitive impairment in people with and without HIV.
Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Metabolic dysfunction and neurocognitive decline share inflammatory pathways that may be amplified in people with HIV (PWH). Prior studies suggest insulin resistance correlates with cognitive decline, while gut-related metabolites, such as betaine, may be protective through metabolic regulation and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated whether metabolic markers differentially associate with cognitive performance in PWH versus people without HIV (PWoH). Methods: We enrolled 200 participants, equally stratified by HIV and diabetes mellitus status, into four groups of 50. All completed neuropsychological testing yielded demographically corrected global T-scores (higher indicates better performance). Biomarkers included GlycA, Diabetes Risk Index (DRI), Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance Index (LP-IR), branched-chain amino acids, and betaine. Multiple linear regression examined associations between metabolic markers and T-scores, adjusting for covariates. Results: Participants had a mean age of 55.7 years (71.0% male). GlycA levels were higher in individuals with diabetes (p = 0.001). Higher DRI levels were associated with worse global T-scores (standardized β = -0.27, p = 0.009). Higher LP-IR was associated with worse cognitive performance in PWH, but not in PWoH (interaction p = 0.007). HIV moderated the association between betaine and global T-scores (interaction p = 0.01); higher betaine was associated with better cognitive performance (standardized β = 0.24, p = 0.02). Higher betaine correlated with lower LP-IR in PWH (standardized β = -0.47, p < 0.01) and lower DRI in all participants (ps < 0.05). Conclusion: Insulin resistance might play a prominent role in cognitive health in PWH than PWoH, suggesting HIV-related metabolic vulnerability is affecting brain health. Associations between betaine, which has immunomodulatory effects, and improved metabolic profiles suggest potential therapeutic targets to preserve cognitive function in PWH. These observational findings may reflect metabolic, dietary, or lifestyle-related factors and require confirmation in studies with detailed nutritional assessment.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.