High Protein, Low Glycemic Load Weight Loss Diets In Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$906,928.00
Summary
High protein, low glycemic load weight loss diets have the potential to be of value in long term weight control but there is little long term data available. There is also some uncertainty about the long term safety of high protein diets and this needs clarification in long term trials. As compliance to the diet is the major issue in long term trials we will explore new ways of getting people to stay in long term studies and maintain a calorie reduced diet.
PREVention Of Diabetes Through Lifestyle Intervention And Population Studies In Europe And Around The World
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,281.00
Summary
The PREVIEW Study will identify the most efficient lifestyle pattern for the prevention of type-2 diabetes in a population of pre-diabetic overweight or obese individuals. The project comprises two distinct lines of evidence, an intervention study and population studies. The focus will be on diet (specifically protein and glycemic index) and intensity of physical activity, as well as their interaction with the lifestyle factors, habitual stress, sleeping pattern, behavioural, environmental, cult ....The PREVIEW Study will identify the most efficient lifestyle pattern for the prevention of type-2 diabetes in a population of pre-diabetic overweight or obese individuals. The project comprises two distinct lines of evidence, an intervention study and population studies. The focus will be on diet (specifically protein and glycemic index) and intensity of physical activity, as well as their interaction with the lifestyle factors, habitual stress, sleeping pattern, behavioural, environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic variables.Read moreRead less
Transforming Mealtime Insulin Dosing Using An Innovative New Bolusing Calculator To Optimise Glycaemic Control In Type 1 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
People with type 1 diabetes require life-long insulin injections to maintain their blood glucose levels in the optimal range. Mealtime dose estimations based solely on carbohydrate have limited efficacy as they fail to take fat and protein into account. The aim of this project is to develop an evidence-based insulin bolusing calculator integrated into a smartphone app to enhance blood glucose control and reduce the daily burden of disease and the risk of life-threatening complications.
Dietary Fats As Drivers Of Obesity-related Inflammation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,767.00
Summary
Obesity leads to diabetes and heart disease but not all body fat seems to be bad. Increased fat around the waist (especially the visceral fat around the intestine and internal organs) is particularly bad. Visceral fat secretes a lot of inflammatory molecules. This research aims to understand how visceral fat becomes inflamed and how we might use diet and other methods to reduce both the amount of visceral fat and its level of inflammation; thus reducing both obesity and its health consequences.
I am a nutritional scientist with a research focus on gastrointestinal function and energy intake regulation in humans. The aim of my research is to understand (1) how any changes in gut function in obesity derail the appetite-regulatory and, thus, reinforce weight gain, ans (2) the role of gut function in the pathophysiology of digestive symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.
Obesity and insulin resistance are an escalating health problem in Australian adolescents. Unmanaged, they are likely to progress to type 2 diabetes and early atherosclerosis and which may pose a major burden on health care resources. However, treatment strategies are currently limited because of the lack of evidence. This PhD research aims to identify, summarise and test an effective and evidence-based approach of dietary management for overweight/obese adolescents and older children with clini ....Obesity and insulin resistance are an escalating health problem in Australian adolescents. Unmanaged, they are likely to progress to type 2 diabetes and early atherosclerosis and which may pose a major burden on health care resources. However, treatment strategies are currently limited because of the lack of evidence. This PhD research aims to identify, summarise and test an effective and evidence-based approach of dietary management for overweight/obese adolescents and older children with clinical insulin resistance or prediabetes.Read moreRead less
Unravelling The Mechanisms By Which Insulin Hypersecretion Is Detrimental To ß-cell Function And Survival In Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$727,758.00
Summary
Type 2 diabetes is associated with reduced levels of the hormone insulin that results in an increase in blood sugar. Evidence suggests that when the cells that make insulin are overworked they fail to produce the right amount of this hormone to keep blood sugar levels normal. In this proposal we will determine how overworking the insulin producing cells damages them and assess whether reducing the need to overwork is beneficial and thus lead to reduced blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is caused by multiple genetic defects, resulting in high blood sugar levels. These high sugar levels are primarily due to a decrease in the concentration of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. A number of recent studies have aimed to identify which genes are regulated under conditions that mimic diabetes. One gene shown to have altered expression levels under these conditions is an enzyme called fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (or FBPase). This enzyme is involved in the meta ....Type 2 diabetes is caused by multiple genetic defects, resulting in high blood sugar levels. These high sugar levels are primarily due to a decrease in the concentration of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. A number of recent studies have aimed to identify which genes are regulated under conditions that mimic diabetes. One gene shown to have altered expression levels under these conditions is an enzyme called fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (or FBPase). This enzyme is involved in the metabolism of sugar and is usually expressed at undetectable levels in the pancreas, but when blood sugar levels are high, the amount of FBPase in the pancreas increases considerably. We hypothesise that this increase in FBPase may contribute to the decrease in insulin secretion by the pancreas, seen in the diabetic state. The aim of this proposal therefore is to study mice that we have modified to express increased FBPase specifically in the pancreas, in order to determine whether this will lead to a decrease in insulin release and to diabetes. If this is the case, then FBPase could be targeted for the development of drugs that would improve the control of blood sugar levels in diabetes.Read moreRead less
Dietary Protein Effects In Elderly Women: Musculoskeletal, Renal, Cardiovascular And Body Composition Endpoints
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$478,946.00
Summary
Fractures and falls of the elderly are major health problems in our community in terms of disability and cost. It is critical to the future health of our aging population to develop non-pharmaceutical interventions to maintain health into old age. Epidemiologic studies have shown that relatively high protein intake is associated with increased bone mineral mass and reduced incidence of osteoporotic fracture in elderly people. Low protein intakes can lead to loss of muscle mass. To date there hav ....Fractures and falls of the elderly are major health problems in our community in terms of disability and cost. It is critical to the future health of our aging population to develop non-pharmaceutical interventions to maintain health into old age. Epidemiologic studies have shown that relatively high protein intake is associated with increased bone mineral mass and reduced incidence of osteoporotic fracture in elderly people. Low protein intakes can lead to loss of muscle mass. To date there have been no randomised trials of sufficient duration to examine the effects of increased dietary protein intake on bone and muscle health of the elderly. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of protein supplementation for the prevention of osteoporosis and muscle wasting in elderly women, and the safety of such an intervention through monitoring renal function and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Two hundred and twenty women will be recruited to this study and be assigned to protein group or placebo group. Women in the protein group will received 250 ml high protein drink (containing 30 g protein) per day and women in the placebo group will receive placebo drink containing the same amount of energy, calcium but no additional protein. Bone structure, muscle mass, body composition, renal function and risk factors for cardiovascular disease will be monitored during the 2 year study period. The results of this randomised, controlled study will clarify the role of protein on bone mass and structure, muscle mass and body composition in the elderly. At the same time, the safety of such intervention on renal and cardiovascular endpoints will also be evaluated. It is envisaged that the results of this study if positive will translate into both immediately applicable intervention strategies that are relevant at a program and an individual level.Read moreRead less