Structural And Functional Consequences Of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Regression.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$293,036.00
Summary
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a thickening of the heart muscle walls that occurs in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cardiac valve disorders and heart dilatation. The presence of LVH increases the risk of developing heart attacks, heart failure and death. Treatment of these disorders is a major component of our escalating health-care costs. Consequently, reversal of LVH may have significant benefits to individual patients and s ....Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a thickening of the heart muscle walls that occurs in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cardiac valve disorders and heart dilatation. The presence of LVH increases the risk of developing heart attacks, heart failure and death. Treatment of these disorders is a major component of our escalating health-care costs. Consequently, reversal of LVH may have significant benefits to individual patients and society in general. We propose to develop a mouse model of an inherited form of LVH that is caused by gene mutations in heart muscle proteins. This model will enable us to study in detail the disease processes that cause LVH and the effects of reversing LVH. This information will be invaluable for determining the best ways of treating patients with LVH.Read moreRead less
Value Of Central Blood Pressure For GUIDing ManagEment Of Hypertension (BP GUIDE Study)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$339,553.00
Summary
A pressure pulse may be felt at the wrist with every heart beat. New technology allows the analysis of this pulse and measurement of blood pressure (BP) at the heart (central BP) . This information may help doctors improve the decision making process regarding a patient's risk related to BP as well as the effect of drug treatment. The study aims to test this theory. It is expected that the new technology will improve the way people with high BP are identified and treated.
Regulatory Pathways Of Compensatory Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$309,536.00
Summary
An increase in muscle bulk (hypertrophy) of the major pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle, occurs as a compensatory mechanism to maintain cardiac function in a wide variety of common cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. Nevertheless, this compensatory mechanism appears to be strongly associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Consequently, the prevention or reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy is one of the major goals of the treatment of p ....An increase in muscle bulk (hypertrophy) of the major pumping chamber of the heart, the left ventricle, occurs as a compensatory mechanism to maintain cardiac function in a wide variety of common cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. Nevertheless, this compensatory mechanism appears to be strongly associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Consequently, the prevention or reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy is one of the major goals of the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease. This project aims to improve our understanding of the complex chemical messengers in the heart muscle that control the development of hypertrophy to provide a basis for more specific drug treatments to control this process, with the aim of reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with hypertrophy.Read moreRead less
Utility Of Direct Endocardial Visualisation To Characterise Scar Morphology And Ablation Lesion Formation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,285.00
Summary
Endocardial visualisation is a new technique in which a catheter is used to look at the internal surface of the heart without the need for surgery. We will use the visualisation catheter to find a better way of placing small burns within the heart to stop atrial fibrillation (one of the most common heart diseases). We will also use the visualisation catheter to find a better way of locating the scarred areas of the heart responsible for ventricular tachycardia (another common heart disease).
TRANSCRIPTIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF STAT3 ACTIVATION IN THE HEART
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$413,694.00
Summary
Recent statistics show that the disease known commonly as heart failure accounts for about 3000 deaths each year in Australia. Worldwide, a staggering 10 million people are thought to currently suffer from heart failure, with this number continuing to rise despite decreasing numbers of people suffering from other forms of heart and blood vessel disease. What causes a healthy heart to fail remains unclear, although in some circumstances failure is known to be initiated by genetic factors, viral f ....Recent statistics show that the disease known commonly as heart failure accounts for about 3000 deaths each year in Australia. Worldwide, a staggering 10 million people are thought to currently suffer from heart failure, with this number continuing to rise despite decreasing numbers of people suffering from other forms of heart and blood vessel disease. What causes a healthy heart to fail remains unclear, although in some circumstances failure is known to be initiated by genetic factors, viral factors, alcoholism, high blood pressure, or when the heart is damaged in a heart attack. We are interested in the molecular mechanisms that underlie the progression of the normal heart to failure. In 2003 we reported on altered signalling pathways in the failing human heart, and noted the increased phosphorylation of a spliceform of the transcription factor STAT3 in patients with heart failure. In this project, we will evaluate a larger group of heart failure patients for changes in phosphorylation of their STAT3 proteins. We will also increase the expression of an activated form of the STAT3 proteins in rat heart cells, and check whether there are accompanying changes in gene expression profiles that indicate a potential role in heart failure, or whether these cells are now predisposed to die. This will be extended with the use of transgenic animals (mice) engineered to overexpress activated STAT3 proteins. Again, we will focus on gene expression profiles. We will also evaluate whether the hearts of these animals are more likely to fail, either as the animals age, or when external stresses are experienced. With this information, we will be able to state whether STAT3 is a contributor to heart failure, and therefore whether it is an attractive target for future therapies aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of heart failure worldwide.Read moreRead less
Development Of Endpoints For Catheter Ablation Of Non-mappable Scar-related Ventricular Tachycardia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$176,686.00
Summary
Ventricular tachycardia is a dangerous heart rhythm disturbance that affects people with scarring in the heart such as those with prior heart attacks or heart failure. Catheter ablation procedures, using wires passed from the groin, can be used to burn the short-circuits related to the scar. However in the majority of cases, it is very difficult to know when enough burning has been performed. This project aims to develop and validate several electrical and imaging endpoints for this procedure.
Research Fellowship: Protection Of Myocardial Function In Health And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$631,010.00
Summary
Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of death in Australia. A/Prof Rebecca Ritchie heads Heart Failure Pharmacology at Baker IDI. Her research focuses on new drug strategies to maintain heart function in response to diabetes & heart attack, common precursors of HF. Many of the treatments discovered from this work are naturally-occurring antioxidants; enhancing their activity will ultimately reduce progression to HF & death in the >3 million Australians affected by these disorders.
Substrate Mapping And Ablation Of Ventricular Tachycardia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$444,129.00
Summary
Sudden death is a tragic occurrence and can afflict Australians of all ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds. This research will aim to understand abnormalities in the heart muscle that cause dangerous heart rhythm abnormalities, which is the most common cause of sudden death. We will study ways to improve the technology of keyhole cardiac procedures so that it can be used to prevent these arrhythmias from occurring in the first place, and in improving the chance of long-term successful cure.
NOVEL CGMP-BASED THERAPIES PREVENT LEFT VENTRICULAR REMODELLING
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$533,433.00
Summary
Over 300,000 Australians are affected by heart failure. Current drugs for cardiac remodelling (the decline in heart pumping function and changed structure that precede heart failure) slow but not reverse disease progression. We have identified a new, nitrovasodilator-based therapy superior to those currently available. We propose it represents a more effective treatment for reversing abnormalities in both structure and function in the remodelled heart, preventing or delaying heart failure.