Body Composition Changes In Cardiac Cachexia: Pathophysiology, Quantification And Approaches To Therapy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,000.00
Summary
Cachexia is weight loss and weakness caused by disease, or as a side effect of illness. Congestive heart failure is a common cardiovascular condition that is accompanied by high mortality (up to 50% over 2 years) and considerable suffering. People with congestive heart failure often develop cachexia. This project will explore the mechanisms responsible for the development of cachexia using an animal model of cardiac cachexia that the researchers have developed. It will be complemented by an exam ....Cachexia is weight loss and weakness caused by disease, or as a side effect of illness. Congestive heart failure is a common cardiovascular condition that is accompanied by high mortality (up to 50% over 2 years) and considerable suffering. People with congestive heart failure often develop cachexia. This project will explore the mechanisms responsible for the development of cachexia using an animal model of cardiac cachexia that the researchers have developed. It will be complemented by an examination of the effects of exercise on measures of cachexia in patients with congestive heart failure. The researchers believe that this study will supply valuable new information about the development of cachexia and lead to new therapies for this syndrome.Read moreRead less
Electrophysiologic Phenotyping Of Non Ischaemic Cardiomyopathy To Predict Clinical Outcome
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,676.00
Summary
Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is a common cause of heart failure and sudden death. Currently, the guidelines for the management are generalised and do not differentiate patients at high risk of disease progression and sudden death. This project aims to identify the electrical and structural properties of heart, to predict the clinical course in patients with NICM. Identification of high-risk patients will help allocate resources wisely and enable appropriate patient counselling.
Development Of Oral Natriuretic-like Peptides For Chronic Treatment Of Congestive Heart Failure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,533.00
Summary
Congestive heart failure is fatal disease and a major disease burdon for the community affecting nearly half a million Australians.. Current therapies are inadequate and very limited in prolonging life. We seek to develop a new peptide therepy based on the effectivness of human B type natriuetic peptide which has to be given by injection. Our aim is to produce an orally active and effective treatment based on peptides discovered in snake venom. The program involves testing in animals and cells
Stretch Induced Pulmonary Vein Remodelling: Implications For The Initiation And Maintenance Of Atrial Fibrillation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$569,823.00
Summary
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder to affect humans, occurring in 2% of adults. It is a chaotic rhythm disorder of the top chambers of the heart that results in frequent hospitalization for falls, chest pain, palpitations, heart failure and stroke. In addition, it is associated with an increased mortality. Evidence suggests an important role of the pulmonary veins (PV; veins draining blood from the lungs back to the heart) in the initiation and maintenance of AF. H ....Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder to affect humans, occurring in 2% of adults. It is a chaotic rhythm disorder of the top chambers of the heart that results in frequent hospitalization for falls, chest pain, palpitations, heart failure and stroke. In addition, it is associated with an increased mortality. Evidence suggests an important role of the pulmonary veins (PV; veins draining blood from the lungs back to the heart) in the initiation and maintenance of AF. However, why these structures promote AF remains unknown. Several conditions predisposing to the development of AF are associated with atrial stretch (such as heart failure). These conditions have documented abnormalities within the atria but the changes that occur within the PVs are unknown. It has even been suggested that pulsatile stretch, as caused by blood flow, in the appropriately predisposed patient, may be enough to trigger AF. As such there has been an intensive search to identify the abnormalities that occur within the PVs. In patients with AF, the PVs demonstrate distinctive electrophysiological properties compared to those without AF. However, the effect of stretch, a common predisposing factor, on the electrophysiological properties of the PV is not known. Preventing electrical activity from the PVs interacting with the heart by ablation has provided a glimpse at our ability to cure AF. However, further improvements in our procedural technique, the ability to prevent the occurrence of this rhythm disorder, and the development of noninvasive strategies to cure AF, hinges on the better understanding of the mechanisms initiating and maintaining this condition. In particular, the electrophysiological changes within the PVs that predispose patients to the development of AF need to be investigated. This series of studies will evaluate the effect of acute and chronic stretch on the PVs in humans to determine why these structures promote AF.Read moreRead less
Randomized Controlled Trial Of CPAP On Cardiac Function In Patients With Heart Failure And Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$140,906.00
Summary
Heart failure is a very common condition associated with disabling symptoms. The main symptoms are breathlessness, usually during sleep or upon exercise, and fatigue. Recent research has identified that sleep apnoea, a condition that occurs in about 50% of subjects with heart failure, is likely to be responsible for these symptoms. Moreover, treatment specifically aimed at sleep apnoea, namely continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) delived via a small electric pump and nasal mask worn during ....Heart failure is a very common condition associated with disabling symptoms. The main symptoms are breathlessness, usually during sleep or upon exercise, and fatigue. Recent research has identified that sleep apnoea, a condition that occurs in about 50% of subjects with heart failure, is likely to be responsible for these symptoms. Moreover, treatment specifically aimed at sleep apnoea, namely continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) delived via a small electric pump and nasal mask worn during sleep, may also improve the symptoms of heart failure. The study will involve subjects with stable heart failure on optimal drug treatment who have evidence of obstructive sleep apnea on an overnight sleep study. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition in which the throat intermittently narrows or blocks during sleep (often associated with snoring) causing cessation of airflow or apnoeas. Associated with the apnoeas are vigorous efforts by the chest muscles to breathe (creating negative vacuum-like pressures within the chest - and around the heart) at a time of falling oxygen levels. Previous research has suggested that these obstructive apnoeas are detrimental to the heart. Volunteers will be randomized to either a control or a CPAP treated group for a three month period. The control and CPAP groups will receive intensive advice about good eating and sleeping habits as weight gain and sleep loss are factors known to aggravate heart failure and obstructive sleep apnoea. In addition to the lifestyle advice, the CPAP group will also be treated with nasal CPAP. The variables which we will measure include severity of sleep apnoea, exercise capacity, heart function at rest and symptoms. Symptoms will be measured using 4 very detailed and validated questionnaires.Read moreRead less
Mapping In Atrial Fibrillation: A 3-dimensional Electrophysiological Evaluation Of The Electro-pathological Substrate
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$416,961.00
Summary
Atrial fibrillation is the most frequently encountered heart rhythm disorder. However, mechanisms underlying the progressive nature of this disease remain poorly understood. This study aims to characterize the 3-D electrical dissociation and its relation to pathological changes in conditions predisposing to atrial fibrillation. This knowledge will facilitate the development of individualized, substrate-oriented pharmacological treatment and targeted therapeutic procedures for atrial fibrillation ....Atrial fibrillation is the most frequently encountered heart rhythm disorder. However, mechanisms underlying the progressive nature of this disease remain poorly understood. This study aims to characterize the 3-D electrical dissociation and its relation to pathological changes in conditions predisposing to atrial fibrillation. This knowledge will facilitate the development of individualized, substrate-oriented pharmacological treatment and targeted therapeutic procedures for atrial fibrillation.Read moreRead less
Catheter Ablation For AF In Heart Failure: Can MRI Predict Benefit?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$143,676.00
Summary
This proposal aims to evaluate the role of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure. We hyopthesise that cardiac MRI will be a useful stratification tool in identifying which patients are likely to benefit from catheter ablation, namely by the absence of significant fibrosis. We propose a randomised cardiac MRI guided multi-centre trial to ascertain the benefit of catheter ablation as an effective treatment of heart failure in such patients.
Heart failure (HF) is the most common cause of hospital admission in those over 65y, and has significant morbidity and mortality. We need to develop new strategies to treat HF. Plasma vasopressin (AVP) levels are elevated in HF, and may contribute to adverse outcomes. This proposal will assess the utility of blocking the vasopressin V1 and V2 receptors in a rat model of HF. We shall also measure AVP in humans with HF. The results of this work may result in new approaches to treat HF patients.
Duty Ratio: A Simple Method For Quantifying Loop Gain During Breathing Instability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$343,514.00
Summary
This proposal presents a new method for calculating the severity of sleep disordered breathing in patients. The proposal also tests the effectiveness of our method in experiments in animals and humans. The method, which requires no intervention in the patient, offers promise as a means for testing the efficacy of treatments for the unstable breathing pattern found in patients with heart failure in whom the presence of unstable breathing is associated with poor outcome.