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Follow Up Of The 1985 Australian Schools Health And Fitness Survey Cohort
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,309,456.00
Summary
This study provides a unique opportunity to follow up a cohort of children on which an extensive range of physical and lifestyle measures were made in 1985. This study has the capacity to find out whether childhood lifestyle and physical measures are related to the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other common health problems in adulthood.
Assessing Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk In Aboriginal People
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$73,550.00
Summary
Aboriginal Australians have higher death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than other Australians, with rates in young and middle aged people increased 15-fold or more. A multi-factor approach, which considers all the risk factors, is the best strategy to identify and reduce CVD risk. The first step for selection of risk-reduction therapy in an individual is to assess his-her risk status and the benefit of intervention. Several risk assessment tools, incorporating traditional risk factors, ....Aboriginal Australians have higher death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than other Australians, with rates in young and middle aged people increased 15-fold or more. A multi-factor approach, which considers all the risk factors, is the best strategy to identify and reduce CVD risk. The first step for selection of risk-reduction therapy in an individual is to assess his-her risk status and the benefit of intervention. Several risk assessment tools, incorporating traditional risk factors, have been developed from Western populations. They would be most appropriately applied to individuals who resemble the study sample; their validity in Aboriginal Australians has not been evaluated and no risk prediction formulae have been developed specifically for Aboriginal people. Recent reports suggest that a variety of other non-traditional risk factors also influence CVD risk, including markers of central fat deposition, inflammation, nutrition, alcohol use and early growth. Given the disadvantaged circumstances of many Aboriginal people, it is likely that some of the factors are influencing their CVD risk. The applicants have collected baseline risk factor data on volunteers in one Aboriginal community and followed their course, including CVD deaths and CVD hospitalisations, for more than a decade. From this baseline information, which goes beyond traditional risk markers, and from additional measures like birthweight, and markers of inflammation and nutrition assayed in retrieved serum, we will develop a variety of models for predicting a CVD risk in this group. We will also lay plans to evaluate these tools in other Aboriginal groups. A better understanding of the causes of CVD in this population is important to influence public health policy for CVD prevention. The models will be helpful health education tools at the community level and will allow therapeutic or lifestyle intervention in individuals to be targeted at their individual risk profile.Read moreRead less
Dietary Antioxidants And Fatty Acids And Heart Disease Risk In Southern European Migrants And Indigenous Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$304,002.00
Summary
The aim in this research program is to learn more about how nutrition, particularly different types of dietary fat and antioxidants from fruit and vegetables, can affect the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Data from Indigenous Australians known to be at high risk for these conditions, as well as Greek and Italian migrants to Australia, with low risk for cardiovascular disease, will be analyzed.
A Population-based Study Of Progression And Risk Factors For Age-related Maculopathy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$776,022.00
Summary
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease, commencing with the less severe age-related maculopathy (ARM), that ultimately can lead to the loss of fine central vision and personal independence. People with advanced AMD generally retain some mobility if their peripheral vision is maintained, but they are unable to perform tasks such as reading, hobbies or recognising people's faces. Unfortunately, the available treatment for AMD, macular laser photocoagulation, benefits only ....Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease, commencing with the less severe age-related maculopathy (ARM), that ultimately can lead to the loss of fine central vision and personal independence. People with advanced AMD generally retain some mobility if their peripheral vision is maintained, but they are unable to perform tasks such as reading, hobbies or recognising people's faces. Unfortunately, the available treatment for AMD, macular laser photocoagulation, benefits only a minority of people with this disease. Until safe and effective treatments for AMD can be developed, identification of major risk factors for the development and progression of AMD is essential to determine if interventions aimed at primary prevention can be initiated. This project will expand on the initial findings of the Visual Impairment Project (VIP), a population-based study of age-related eye disease in a cohort of more than 5000 Victorians aged 40 years and older. Data from the VIP have shown that AMD is the most important ophthalmologic public health problem, particularly since AMD is the major cause of vision impairment in Australia and has the least available treatment options. This study will follow individuals who were identified in the VIP with ARM-AMD to determine the natural history and risk factors associated with the longer term progression of AMD. Particular emphasis will be on determining the role of cardiovascular disease risk factors in AMD progression.Read moreRead less
Inter-relationships Between Life-stage Transitions, Depression And Cardio-metabolic Health In Young Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,325.00
Summary
This study will investigate how social transitions and depression in young Australian adults affect the development of obesity and the adoption or persistence of behaviours that are associated with the risk of heart disease and diabetes. These behaviours include smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption. A better understanding of how psychosocial factors influence risk factors for heart disease and diabetes is needed to improve prevention strategies.
Allergies And Chronic Respiratory Diseases: Causes, Biological Pathways And Interventions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$420,872.00
Summary
Allergies and chronic respiratory diseases are major causes of illness and death in Australia. Worryingly there are still many gaps in knowledge on how best to prevent and manage these diseases. The proposed program will investigate these questions and provide evidence to guide health policy and clinical management. As this program is built on state-of the-art methods and technology, these original Australian findings will be of great importance internationally.
A Case-cohort Study Of New Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Diseases In Busselton
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$197,349.00
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases account for about half of all deaths and for considerable use of health care resources. While several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight and diabetes, are well-established, these do not fully explain all cardiovascular disease. In recent years, some new potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been identified. This study aims to examine these new risk factors in an Australian population ....Cardiovascular diseases account for about half of all deaths and for considerable use of health care resources. While several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight and diabetes, are well-established, these do not fully explain all cardiovascular disease. In recent years, some new potential risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been identified. This study aims to examine these new risk factors in an Australian population. Using information collected by the Busselton Health Surveys over the last 20 years, we aim to determine whether people who had these risk factors in 1978 were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease over the following years. Since all the information needed has already been collected in the course of earlier health surveys, this study will be particularly cost-effective. We expect that results from this study will increase our understanding of the causes of cardiovascular disease, and may suggest some simple tests to help identify those people who may be at higher risk of heart disease and most likely to benefit from intervention.Read moreRead less
Risk And Prognostic Factors For Breast Cancer Of Different Immunohistochemical Subtypes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$294,461.00
Summary
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Gene expression analysis has identified a number of subtypes that are different with respect to pathology, prognosis, and response to treatment. Building on an existing cohort study, we aim to identify risk and prognostic factors for molecular subtypes of breast cancer.
The Epidemiology Of Staphylococcus Aureus And Antibiotic Resistance In Community-acquired Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,267,784.00
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus infections range from boils to life-threatening diseases and are increasingly resistant to antibiotics and difficult to treat. This study follows patients with community-acquired S. aureus infections, and close contacts, for 24 months to see if they carry S. aureus (nose swabs) or develop infection. Our data on risk factors for colonisation and infection will help doctors decide whether to trace and treat contacts of patients to protect households from further infection.