Optimising Heart Disease Prevention And Management
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,647,175.00
Summary
As we become older and risk factors such as obesity become more common, our biggest contributor to death and disability, cardiovascular disease (including heart disease), will continue to exert an enormous burden on our health care system and society. We will extend our ground-breaking research on multidisciplinary teams to create new and innovative health care programs to optimise the prevention and management of new heart disease and chronic forms of heart disease.
STudy Of Risk Assessment To Reduce Complications In Patients Following Noncardiac SurgerY (STRATIFY)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$436,000.00
Summary
Cardiac problems account for many complications in patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, and even apparently minor cardiac damage is a marker of high risk for subsequent adverse events. Unfortunately, while money and effort is expended on identifying patients at risk, the appropriate response to this risk is quite unclear. The performance of bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty in order to treat the underlying coronary disease of at-risk patients is used in other situations, and reduce ....Cardiac problems account for many complications in patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, and even apparently minor cardiac damage is a marker of high risk for subsequent adverse events. Unfortunately, while money and effort is expended on identifying patients at risk, the appropriate response to this risk is quite unclear. The performance of bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty in order to treat the underlying coronary disease of at-risk patients is used in other situations, and reduces longterm risk. However, in many patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery, this approach may be inappropriately aggressive, as these patients are often elderly, have other diseases that make heart operations more difficult and risky than usual, and in any case may have a reduced life expectancy from the disease necessitating the operation. As the most critical issue is to ensure that patients undergo their surgery uneventfully, an alternative is the use of intensive medical therapy to protect the heart. This multicentre study, based at Brisbane hospitals that perform large numbers of major operations, will follow up patients for complications, and outcome (including quality of life) will be assessed six months after the operation. We will address two important questions about the efficacy and cost of risk reduction strategies. First, in patients at higher levels of risk and with a positive stress test, could a combination of medical therapy designed to protect the heart be as effective as current approaches, which include the performance of bypass surgery or coronary balloon angioplasty? Second, in patients identified as being at some risk - but low risk - are drugs sufficiently effective to avoid the need for further testing to quantify risk? As the population continues to age, the numbers of at risk patients undergoing major surgery will increase, and answers to these questions will provide important information to guide their management.Read moreRead less
A National Population-based Study Of Rheumatic Heart Disease In Pregnancy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$877,826.00
Summary
Whilst overall a rare disease, Indigenous peoples have disproportionately high rates of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). This study explores the prevalence and distribution of RHD in pregnancy in Australia and New Zealand. It details current management, diagnostic and referral process and risk factors. Key attributes of culturally safe models of care for RHD in pregnancy are explored, particularly as they relate to Indigenous women. Findings will inform policy, guidelines and education resources.