Sex Hormones And Heart Disease In Older Women Study (The SHOW Study)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,672.00
Summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD, heart disease and stroke) is the leading cause of death in women aged 65 and over. Counter-intuitively, androgens may be as, or even more important, than estrogens in determining CVD risk and all-cause mortality in women, but this is yet to be verified. We will document blood levels of androgens in women aged 70+ and determine whether androgens are associated with CVD and death in this large cohort of elderly well women.
Improving Physical Health Outcomes For Young People With Psychotic Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$189,384.00
Summary
Enduring psychotic disorders are associated with a reduced life expectancy by 25 years, which is mainly due to cardiovascular disease. This project will produce a training package that will improve clinician’s skills and knowledge of screening and treatment for physical health risk factors in young people with psychosis. This project will result in the development of an intervention for reducing the prevalence of these cardiovascular risk factors known to contribute to this early mortality.
I am an academic endocrinologist and clinician. I lead a large research program that investigates the links between hormones and diseases of ageing in women. Thus my research program addresses the contribution of changes in adrenal and ovarian steroids in
The Management To Optimise Diabetes And MEtabolic Syndrome Risk Reduction Via Nurse-led Intervention (MODERN) Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,445,861.00
Summary
There is increasing recognition of society’s responsibility to provide effective and sustainable health care to the entire population and not just selected parts. This practical study will test the impact of a nurse-led, multidisciplinary prevention program to reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events in middle-aged individuals at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) living in regional Australia.
Advanced Non-invasive Cardiovascular Risk Screening In The Community: Practical And Cost Effective?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$287,321.00
Summary
This research focuses on the practicalities and cost of mobile, advanced, non-invasive cardiovascular assessments to determine the extent of CVD and clinical risk factors and its likely impact on patterns of treatment and care to “disadvantaged” individuals living in rural and remote regions and Indigenous Australians. The advantage of directly acquiring risk profile information has not been fully explored and its potential to address an “epidemic” of CVD world-wide cannot be overstated.
The identification, prevention and management of chronic disease risk factors and understanding impact on clinical outcomes is fundamental to improving health and well-being. The program of work encapsulated in this application utilises a number of research methods to advance our understanding and provide new directions for cardiovascular disease prevention and management.
Identifying The Epigenomic Fingerprint Of Coronary Heart Disease In Chinese Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$596,663.00
Summary
Once people get diabetes, even good glucose control may be insufficient to prevent its complications. Diabetes results in molecular imprinting contributing to an increased risk of heart disease. We believe it is possible to identify this imprinted risk by a sophisticated analysis of a standard blood sample. Validating this hypothesis will lead to new biomarkers to identify individuals at increased risk of heart attacks as well as new strategies for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.
SGLT2 inhibitors are new glucose-lowering agents for type 2 diabetes. They promote glucose loss into urine, which lowers blood glucose levels. However, little is known regarding the changes to kidney physiology when this system is manipulated with these drugs. There is evidence that SGLT2 inhibitors do not protect against kidney disease in diabetic mice, despite being an effective blood glucose-lowering agent. I aim to characterise the changes to kidney function upon SGLT2 blockade in diabetes.