CKD-FIX: A Randomised, Controlled Trial Of Allopurinol In The Slowing Of Kidney Disease Progression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,917,147.00
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem affecting over 1.5 million Australians and is associated with increased risk of death, heart disease and progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Current treatments to slow progression to ESKD are limited. The CKD-FIX trial aims to find out whether treatment with allopurinol, a commonly used drug for gout prevention, safely and effectively slows CKD progression. This could lead to significant health and economic benefits.
Randomised Controlled Trial To Determine Efficacy And Safety Of Prescribed Water Intake To Prevent The Progression Of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (PREVENT-ADPKD)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$746,751.00
Summary
Increasing the daily intake of water is well known to reduce the risk of developing kidney stones but there is growing evidence that it may also benefit other kidney diseases, particularly autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). This study will determine if adequate hydration can slow the progression of ADPKD, and could provide a relatively simple and cheap treatment for preventing the onset of kidney failure due to this disease.
Vascular And Neurogenic Determinants Of Hypertension In Chronic Kidney Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$508,142.00
Summary
You are as old as your arteries, and people with kidney disease have arteries that age fast. They also have overactive sympathetic nerves, and it is not clear if the blood vessels or nerves are responsible for the high blood pressure that puts strain on the heart and other organs of these patients. We will use an animal model to determine if therapy for hypertension reduces the stiffness of blood vessels or elevated nerve activity. Our results will enable better treatments for kidney failure.
Wellbeing Intervention For Chronic Kidney Disease (WICKD): A Trial Of The Aboriginal And Islander Mental Health Initiative (AIMhi) Stay Strong App.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,031,562.00
Summary
Kidney disease is 10 times higher for Indigenous compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Treatment involves many losses (time, functioning, role and disconnection from family and country). This study is the first to explore effectiveness of a culturally adapted electronic mental health intervention – The AIMhi Stay Strong App for improving wellbeing, quality of life and treatment adherence for Indigenous patients on haemodialysis. Cost effectiveness of the intervention is also assessed.
Oxygen To Relieve Dyspnoea In Non-hypoxaemic Patients With End-stage Heart Failure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,658.00
Summary
Chronic heart failure is a cause of suffering and a major cause of death in the Australian community. Patients who have chronic heart failure suffer from a range of symptoms that severely impacts every aspect of their life. One of the most common and distressing symptoms is breathlessness. As people with heart failure near death, their breathlessness may worsen not only in terms of its frequency, but also in its intensity. This worsening of symptoms is a source of great distress, both to patient ....Chronic heart failure is a cause of suffering and a major cause of death in the Australian community. Patients who have chronic heart failure suffer from a range of symptoms that severely impacts every aspect of their life. One of the most common and distressing symptoms is breathlessness. As people with heart failure near death, their breathlessness may worsen not only in terms of its frequency, but also in its intensity. This worsening of symptoms is a source of great distress, both to patients as well as their carers and family. Breathlessness is also the most common cause of admission to hospital for patients. A key strategy for managing this distressing symptom in the home is the supply of oxygen. However, due to a lack of scientific evidence for the benefit of home oxygen for people with heart failure, who do not necessarily have low levels of oxygen, it is very difficult for clinicians to access this therapy for their patients. This study seeks to assess if a specific breathlessness action plan alone or if the addition of either oxygen or air can relieve this distressing symptom. The scientific evaluation of these strategies will assist in improving the palliative care of people with chronic heart failure.Read moreRead less
Harnessing Information Technology To Improve Self-management Behaviours And Health Outcome In People With Heart Failure: A Smarthome Ecosystem Living Lab Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,120,226.00
Summary
The burden of heart failure in Australia is substantial. Management of heart failure is complex and requires self-management of symptoms and behaviour change, which requires ongoing education and support to achieve. Current approaches for supporting self-management do not meet the needs of people with heart failure or the healthcare system. This Australian first project aims to co-design an intelligent smart home ecosystem (Smart Heart) to support the management for people with heart failure.
Which Heart Failure Intervention Is Most Cost Effective In Reducing Hospital Care (WHICH? II) Trial: A Multicentre, Randomised Trial Of Standard Versus Intensified Management Of Metropolitan And Regional-dwelling Patients With Heart Failure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,891,210.00
Summary
Chronic heart failure (CHF) management programs are now the gold-standard to cost-effectively care for thousands of Australians hospitalised with CHF each year. We’ve shown that home-based management is most cost-effective in reducing hospital stay in CHF. The Which Intervention is most Cost-effective in reducing Hospital care (WHICH? II) Trial, a multicentre, randomised study, will determine if more intensive care (via home visits and remote care contacts) further improves poor outcomes in CHF.
FUNCTIONAL IMAGING OF THE BRAINSTEM AND CORTICAL SITES OF BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL IN HUMAN SUBJECTS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$398,498.00
Summary
Disturbances in cardiovascular control underpin many diseases yet little is known about how the brain controls the heart and blood vessels. This project uses brain imaging (fMRI) and concurrent nerve recording in awake human subjects to increase our understanding of how normal blood pressure is maintained and how different disease states influence this control.
Stress During Pregnancy And The Developmental Origins Of Renal Disease In Aboriginal Australians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$866,044.00
Summary
There is an epidemic of renal failure in Aboriginal people who also have high rates of premature birth of small babies. This project aims to understand the causes of kidney failure in Aboriginal people through testing if stress during pregnancy leads to the birth of preterm, small babies with small poorly formed kidneys that lead to kidney failure in later life. The effect of stressors impacting on pregnant women including infections, exposure to smoking and social stressors will be examined.
Targeting PI3K-regulated MicroRNAs To Treat Heart Failure
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$532,593.00
Summary
Current therapeutics largely delay heart failure progression rather than regressing it. New therapeutic strategies with the capability of improving function of the failing heart are thus greatly needed. The primary goal of this study is to determine whether novel regulatory genes can enhance cardiac function in a setting of heart failure. Ultimately, technologies that target these genes may lead to innovative pharmacotherapies in the clinical management of heart failure.