Influence Of Flavonoid Structure And Function On Cardiovascular Protection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$571,447.00
Summary
The proposed research will further explore the hypothesis that dietary flavonoids can protect against cardiovascular disease. The importance of flavonoid structure for bioactivity needs further study. In addition, metabolic changes to flavonoid structure could have a profound effect on their bioactivity. Therefore, our overall aim is to investigate the effects of individual flavonoids and their metabolites on bioactivity relevant to cardiovascular disease.
In Vivo Evaluation Of Coronary Atheroma Burden And Its Association With Focal Coronary Endothelial Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$123,736.00
Summary
Heart attacks remain the leading cause of death in the western world. It has been recently identified that the burden of plaque buildup in the coronary arteries is a major predictor of future heart attacks. Furthermore, it also known that impaired relaxation within the coronary arteries also increases the future risk of heart attacks. The dynamic relationship between these two critical factors remains unknown and an understanding of this is important for predicting future heart attacks.
Smartphone Based Secondary Prevention Program For Patients With Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Randomised Control Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$122,714.00
Summary
Patients at the highest risk of premature death, heart attacks and re-hospitalization are those with known coronary heart disease. Secondary prevention strategies and cardiac rehabilitation are under-utilised in clinical practice. We aim to close this treatment gap by establishing the role of a smartphone based secondary prevention program in patients who have experienced a heart attack. Our innovative model of care may empower patients to optimise their cardiac health.
Do Retinal Microvascular Signs Predict Ischaemic Heart Disease Subtype? The Australian Heart Eye Study (AHES)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$65,532.00
Summary
Narrowing of the large vessels of the heart and abnormal function of the small vessels are both causes of coronary heart disease and chest pain.There are few non-invasive investigations to help differentiate between large and small vessel disease and assess one’s risk of developing disease in the future.The study uses retinal photography and coronary angiography to assess whether changes in the structure of the blood vessels of the eye may be used to identify the type of coronary heart disease a ....Narrowing of the large vessels of the heart and abnormal function of the small vessels are both causes of coronary heart disease and chest pain.There are few non-invasive investigations to help differentiate between large and small vessel disease and assess one’s risk of developing disease in the future.The study uses retinal photography and coronary angiography to assess whether changes in the structure of the blood vessels of the eye may be used to identify the type of coronary heart disease as well as the risk of future cardiac events.Read moreRead less
Platelet And Endothelial Function In Atrial Fibrillation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$105,825.00
Summary
Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disturbance in the adult population and leads to substantial increased death and disability from stroke. In this research scheme, we will study the contribution of platelet (clot forming cells) and endothelial (lining of blood vessels) dysfunction in atrial fibrillation. The successful outcome of this project will lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of clot formation and may lead to a better target for future drugs.
The Coronary Vascular Bed, Shear Stress, Endothelial Signalling And Myocyte Electrophysiology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$133,774.00
Summary
Physiologic control muscle performance includes a little understood signal from the walls of blood vessels stimulated by pressure and flow which effect muscle function. How this signal operates is controversial. We have developed a model which enables the evaluation of such signalling where changes in flow in the circumflex coronary artery induce easily measured local changes in electrophysiology which are confined to the territory of the circumflex coronary artery and which can be compared with ....Physiologic control muscle performance includes a little understood signal from the walls of blood vessels stimulated by pressure and flow which effect muscle function. How this signal operates is controversial. We have developed a model which enables the evaluation of such signalling where changes in flow in the circumflex coronary artery induce easily measured local changes in electrophysiology which are confined to the territory of the circumflex coronary artery and which can be compared with control values from the left anterior descending coronary artery territory. We propose to use this stable model to evaluate the origin, the transmission agent and the mechanism by which it alters the action potential duration.Read moreRead less
Atherosclerosis: Lipoproteins, Cell Biology And Vascular Physiology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,461,682.00
Summary
The world is confronting a major new epidemic of premature heart disease that is being driven by a global increase in obesity. There are several factors that contribute to the increased risk of heart disease in overweight and obese people. One is a low blood level of the “good” HDL cholesterol that normally protects against heart disease. Another relates to a decreased ability to remove cholesterol from the walls of arteries where it builds up to cause heart disease. A third is the fact that obe ....The world is confronting a major new epidemic of premature heart disease that is being driven by a global increase in obesity. There are several factors that contribute to the increased risk of heart disease in overweight and obese people. One is a low blood level of the “good” HDL cholesterol that normally protects against heart disease. Another relates to a decreased ability to remove cholesterol from the walls of arteries where it builds up to cause heart disease. A third is the fact that obesity is associated with a state of chronic inflammation of the blood vessels. This inflammation not only accelerates the development of heart disease but also makes people who have cholesterol accumulated in their arteries more likely to actually have a heart attack. And a fourth is the fact that the lining of blood vessels does not function normally in overweight and obese people. This loss of normal function is a very early sign of future heart disease. These factors are closely inter-related, with the “good” HDL playing a central role in removing cholesterol from arteries, inhibiting arterial inflammation and promoting normal function and repair of the lining of blood vessels. HDL is complex, consisting of a mixture of several subpopulations of particles that vary in shape, size and composition. Furthermore, these HDL subpopulations are continually remodelled as they circulate in blood in reactions promoted by a number of blood factors that change their size and composition. A major component of the research to be conducted in this program relates to understanding how the HDL subpopulations in human blood are regulated and how they protect against heart disease. The applicants have already made major contributions to understanding the functions of the “good” HDLs, how they take cholesterol out of cells in the artery wall, how they inhibit inflammation of the arteries and how they improve the function of the artery lining. We propose to extend these studies to establish how these protective functions can be enhanced, to find out which of the HDL subpopulations are most protective, and to identify how to increase the most protective HDLs in people at risk of heart disease.Read moreRead less