The Australian Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes And Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$489,749.00
Summary
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a form of home dialysis that is both substantially cheaper and associated with better early survival than standard hospital-based haemodialysis. Its use in Australia has been severely limited by poor outcomes compared to the rest of the world. This international study aims to identify “real world” PD centre practices that will lead to better outcomes for Australian patients, greater uptake of home dialysis and health savings of tens of millions of dollars annually.
Translation Of Glaucoma Blindness Genes To Improve Clinical Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$856,795.00
Summary
Glaucoma is a common cause of irreversible blindness. It is currently difficult to predict which patients with the earliest signs of glaucoma will develop blinding stages of the disease. This study will investigate how genes and eye measurements can be used to predict the risk of developing severe glaucoma in people with early signs of disease. This will ensure that high risk individuals can access treatment early, while those at low risk can be spared unnecessary treatment and seen less often.
Gene Tests For Predicting Risk Of Developing Glaucoma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$956,020.00
Summary
Glaucoma is a common cause of blindness. It is currently difficult to predict which patients with the earliest signs of glaucoma will go on to develop the blinding stages of the disease. This study will investigate how genes and othe eye measurements can be used to predict risk of developing glaucoma in people with early signs of disease.
Generating Evidence Of Reduced Rates Of Overweight/obesity In Children: Value Adding To Four Established Australasian Early Intervention Trials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$193,758.00
Summary
Childhood obesity is a major health problem. Trials are now being done to see whether helping families when their baby is young will reduce the rate of overweight children. We will combine data from these trials (1800+ children) to see if the programs work. To get maximum information we need to combine the line-by-line raw data from each patient in each trial. This is called an individual patient data meta-analysis. It is the best method for finding reliable answers to important health issues.
A Prospective Study Of The Influence Of Health-related Lifestyle Factors On DNA Methylation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$640,074.00
Summary
It is known that DNA methylation can lead to disease. We aim to discover what causes DNA methylation to change. This could open the way for new methods of prevention and treatment of many diseases. We will study 1200 people to assess how the methylation of their DNA is influenced by changes in their smoking habits, alcohol consumption, vitamin intake, body size, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. We want to know whether these changes lead to undesirable (or desirable) changes in DNA methylation
We will investigate whether there are particular patterns of DNA methylation in people who develop gastric cancer. This could provide a means of identifying people at high risk of developing the disease, which may assist with early detection. This would be expected to markedly improve survival. If we can identify lifestyle factors associated with gastric cancer methylation there may be opportunities for prevention of the disease.
A Novel Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Model Based On Pathology Services (Ret-Path) For People With Diabetes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$764,273.00
Summary
Most vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, a severe complication of diabetes, can be prevented by early detection. However, with no recognized eye screening procedure, up to half of Australians with diabetes do not have a regular eye check. We have successfully piloted a new eye screening model using pathology centres as an opportunistic catchment point. In this project, we will demonstrate the overall effectiveness and economic benefits of this novel eye screening model in urban and rural Vict ....Most vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, a severe complication of diabetes, can be prevented by early detection. However, with no recognized eye screening procedure, up to half of Australians with diabetes do not have a regular eye check. We have successfully piloted a new eye screening model using pathology centres as an opportunistic catchment point. In this project, we will demonstrate the overall effectiveness and economic benefits of this novel eye screening model in urban and rural Victoria for people with diabtetes.Read moreRead less
Planning, Timing And Quit Success: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,108.00
Summary
The aim of this project is to better understand how quit smoking interventions should be structured to maximise effectiveness; should smokers be encouraged to quit immediately to capitalize on the motivation that caused them to seek help, or first spend time planning, and can the planning be done after quitting? The answers will inform the design and delivery of smoking cessation programs, and potentially programs for other hard-to-change behaviours.
The Evolution Of Childhood Obesity And Its Relationship To Adult Sleep Disordered Breathing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$870,842.00
Summary
This project will characterise Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in early adulthood. It will assess the prevalence of OSA in a well characterised cohort (the Raine Cohort), representative of the population of young adults in Western Australia. It will define the clinical picture and risk factors associated with abnormal breathing during sleep and will use the extensive longitudinal data collected from 18 weeks gestation until 23 years of age to quantify early life developmental and environmental pr ....This project will characterise Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in early adulthood. It will assess the prevalence of OSA in a well characterised cohort (the Raine Cohort), representative of the population of young adults in Western Australia. It will define the clinical picture and risk factors associated with abnormal breathing during sleep and will use the extensive longitudinal data collected from 18 weeks gestation until 23 years of age to quantify early life developmental and environmental predictors that can inform public health policy.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal Australians are diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at approximately 10 times the rate of non-Aboriginal Australians. Since 2002, the ARDAC Study has examined the early markers of kidney and heart disease in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children and adolescents. The study aims to determine if the increased risk of chronic kidney and heart disease seen in Aboriginal adults begins during adolescence and young adulthood as an increased prevalence of chronic disease risk factors.