Population Monitoring Of Coronary Heart Disease In The Modern Era
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$636,375.00
Summary
Despite major reductions in mortality from heart attack over the past three decades, coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of death and disability in Australia. It generates very large health costs and is one of five National priority areas for disease prevention and control. The most important manifestations of CHD are heart attacks, which require urgent hospital treatment, or sudden death, generally outside hospital. Accurate information to monitor trends in the incidence and ....Despite major reductions in mortality from heart attack over the past three decades, coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of death and disability in Australia. It generates very large health costs and is one of five National priority areas for disease prevention and control. The most important manifestations of CHD are heart attacks, which require urgent hospital treatment, or sudden death, generally outside hospital. Accurate information to monitor trends in the incidence and outcomes of heart attack that can be used to assess the effectiveness for public health programs, establish requirements for clinical services, improve quality of care, and support studies of costs of health care, is essential. This study will use the unique capacity for medical record linkage in Western Australia (WA) to establish a comprehensive system to monitor the incidence, outcomes and emergency treatment of heart attack. It will combine information from a number of data sources including the hospital statistical system, emergency departments, ambulance services, laboratories and departments of cardiology. It will also obtain information from Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged care about the prescribing of selected medications, such as cholesterol lowering drugs, used in for the prevention of heart disease. Within this framework, it will undertake a number of sub-studies to improve the accuracy of information about heart attacks in the hospital statistical system to ensure consistency in measuring future trends, provide clinicians with state-wide information about outcomes of hospital care and the uptake of proven therapies, provide health administrators with information for planning services, and policy makers about the most cost-effective options for the preventions and control of heart disease.Read moreRead less
Predictive Models And Interventions For Coronary Heart Disease In Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$203,125.00
Summary
The main causes of heart disease in western countries are smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However, in indigenous populations, other factors may be more important. We propose to look at these conventional risk factors and others like diabetes, blood clotting disorders and inflammation to see which are best for predicting heart attack in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people . We will also examine the effect of heart disease prevention programs run by communities, to see ....The main causes of heart disease in western countries are smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However, in indigenous populations, other factors may be more important. We propose to look at these conventional risk factors and others like diabetes, blood clotting disorders and inflammation to see which are best for predicting heart attack in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people . We will also examine the effect of heart disease prevention programs run by communities, to see if they can improve these risk factors. Finally, we will use this information to produce educational materials and clinical tools for health services.Read moreRead less
A SYSTEMS BIOLOGY APPROACH TO SCREENING, DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS FOR LYSOSOMAL STORAGE DISORDERS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$900,781.00
Summary
Lysosomal storage disorders (LSD) are inherited and, at present, can only be detected in children after symptoms are obvious. We are developing newborn screening for LSD to detect affected babies before the onset of irreversible symptoms. As most LSD babies appear normal at birth it is important to be able to predict disease severity or rate of disease progression; this will help doctors know when to give therapy, which therapy is best and provide families with appropriate genetic counseling.
How Do Glycosaminoglycans Promote The Propagation Of Prions?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$512,270.00
Summary
The prion diseases are a group of transmissible, neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. The most common form in humans is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), although acquired (variant CJD) and inherited (familial CJD) forms are recognised. Prion diseases are transmissible to the same species by inoculation with, or dietary exposure to, infected tissues. The infectious agent, referred to as a prion , has not been identified at the molecular level. However, a major c ....The prion diseases are a group of transmissible, neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. The most common form in humans is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), although acquired (variant CJD) and inherited (familial CJD) forms are recognised. Prion diseases are transmissible to the same species by inoculation with, or dietary exposure to, infected tissues. The infectious agent, referred to as a prion , has not been identified at the molecular level. However, a major component of purified prions is an abnormal disease associated form of the host encoded prion protein. Understanding how the disease associated form of the prion protein is generated and how host-derived cofactors contribute to its formation will help in our understanding of the infectious nature of these diseases and in the development of effective therapeutic and prophylactic strategies. Glycosaminoglycans are host-derived components of the extracellular matrix that are associated with prion protein plaques found in the brain tissue of patients with prion diseases. Glycosaminoglycans are believed to influence the transmission of prions and the ongoing propagation of infectivity. In this study the importance of glycosaminoglycans in the formation of the disease associated prion protein and the generation of infectivity will be investigated using both cell-free and cell-based models of prion propagation. The understanding gained from this study will be used to develop a high throughput assay that can be used to detect prion infection prior to the development of clinical disease and within a time frame whereby therapeutic intervention may be effective.Read moreRead less