1+1- A Healthy Start To Life:Targeting The Year Before And The Year After Birth In Aboriginal Children In Remote Areas
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$587,272.00
Summary
Indigenous Australians in remote communities are less healthy and more socially disadvantaged than other Australians. This influences the quality of the intrauterine environment. Babies often suffer malnutrition and recurring infections during infancy which are exacerbated by their less than optimal birth status and contribute to chronic conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal failure) in adulthood. Existing health services are costly to Government and do not achieve their potential ....Indigenous Australians in remote communities are less healthy and more socially disadvantaged than other Australians. This influences the quality of the intrauterine environment. Babies often suffer malnutrition and recurring infections during infancy which are exacerbated by their less than optimal birth status and contribute to chronic conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal failure) in adulthood. Existing health services are costly to Government and do not achieve their potential for promoting health and providing quality care. Evidence suggests redesigned models based on continuity of care, focused, proactive family support and workload reform will improve maternal and infant outcomes. New models need to be developed, costed, implemented and evaluated providing governments with the evidence base to initiate service improvement. Such models will have applicability elsewhere in Australia. Professor Lesley Barclay and her team of researchers from Charles Darwin University will conduct research into developing such a model. The project aims to improve the quality of care for remote dwelling Aboriginal women and infants in the year before, during and the year after birth by providing evidence for, and facilitating changes to, service delivery. This will enhance the potential for the development of resilience and well-being of their children. It will also test if service improvements can improve the health of women and reduce childhood disease and therefore reduce the impact of health conditions occurring in adulthood which have their origins in the early stages of life.Read moreRead less
Gene-environment Interaction In Healthy Brain Ageing And Age Related Neurodegeneration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,162,805.00
Summary
Healthy ageing is characterised by low level of disability, high cognitive and functional capacity, and an active engagement in life. The most important ingredient of healthy ageing is a healthy brain, bereft of age-related diseases and dysfunction. Brain ageing and brain diseases are determined by multiple genetic factors that interact with environmental influences. The genes are multiple, the majority of which have a small influence. This study is an attempt to identify some of these genes and ....Healthy ageing is characterised by low level of disability, high cognitive and functional capacity, and an active engagement in life. The most important ingredient of healthy ageing is a healthy brain, bereft of age-related diseases and dysfunction. Brain ageing and brain diseases are determined by multiple genetic factors that interact with environmental influences. The genes are multiple, the majority of which have a small influence. This study is an attempt to identify some of these genes and investigate their interactions with environmental factors. It will use a unique resource, the NHMRC Australian Twin Registry (ATR) to identify elderly twins, and will also include the siblings of these twins so as to increase the ability to identify the important factors. The participants, who are listed on the ATR and recruited from NSW, Queensland and Victoria, will receive detailed neurological, psychiatric and cognitive assessments, and will undergo brain MRI scans. Their blood samples will be used to measure key chemicals that may affect brain ageing and to extract DNA for genetic tests. They will be followed-up every two years thereafter, and changes in their brain structure and cognitive functioning will be examined. Available statistical models will be used to examine gene-environment interactions and specific genes will be explored for their contribution to the additive genetic effects. This study will yield an important resource for national and international collaborations and has the potential to discover new genes.Read moreRead less
Oxygen To Relieve Dyspnoea In Non-hypoxaemic Patients With End-stage Heart Failure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,658.00
Summary
Chronic heart failure is a cause of suffering and a major cause of death in the Australian community. Patients who have chronic heart failure suffer from a range of symptoms that severely impacts every aspect of their life. One of the most common and distressing symptoms is breathlessness. As people with heart failure near death, their breathlessness may worsen not only in terms of its frequency, but also in its intensity. This worsening of symptoms is a source of great distress, both to patient ....Chronic heart failure is a cause of suffering and a major cause of death in the Australian community. Patients who have chronic heart failure suffer from a range of symptoms that severely impacts every aspect of their life. One of the most common and distressing symptoms is breathlessness. As people with heart failure near death, their breathlessness may worsen not only in terms of its frequency, but also in its intensity. This worsening of symptoms is a source of great distress, both to patients as well as their carers and family. Breathlessness is also the most common cause of admission to hospital for patients. A key strategy for managing this distressing symptom in the home is the supply of oxygen. However, due to a lack of scientific evidence for the benefit of home oxygen for people with heart failure, who do not necessarily have low levels of oxygen, it is very difficult for clinicians to access this therapy for their patients. This study seeks to assess if a specific breathlessness action plan alone or if the addition of either oxygen or air can relieve this distressing symptom. The scientific evaluation of these strategies will assist in improving the palliative care of people with chronic heart failure.Read moreRead less