An Intervention Trial To Prevent Cognitive Impairment And Depression In Older Men
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$286,018.00
Summary
A gradual decline in the thinking processes, dementia and depression are major health issues for older people. There is already some evidence that deficiency in certain vitamins may be contributing to these problems. This project seeks to evaluate an inexpensive and simple vitamin supplement which may provide a highly cost-effective method of preventing cognitive decline, dementia and depression in older people. This research will also allow the evaluation of the role of certain biological and g ....A gradual decline in the thinking processes, dementia and depression are major health issues for older people. There is already some evidence that deficiency in certain vitamins may be contributing to these problems. This project seeks to evaluate an inexpensive and simple vitamin supplement which may provide a highly cost-effective method of preventing cognitive decline, dementia and depression in older people. This research will also allow the evaluation of the role of certain biological and genetic risk factors which may also impact on these problems. This project seeks to do a trial of these vitamins in older men who are at particular risk for these problems. The men in this project will be monitored by simple tests of their thinking and evaluating any symptoms of depression.Read moreRead less
Service Pathways For Ageing Caregivers Of Adults With Intellectual Disability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$143,613.00
Summary
Caregiving is demanding, but for most it is but a phase of life. This is not so for the 90,000 Australian parents caring for a lifetime for their adult son or daughter with intellectual disability. They are at significant risk from the physical and emotional consequences of long-term caring and the compounding effects of their own - and their son or daughter's - ageing. Despite this, these ageing parent caregivers typically do not use health and community services until a crisis occurs. Our goal ....Caregiving is demanding, but for most it is but a phase of life. This is not so for the 90,000 Australian parents caring for a lifetime for their adult son or daughter with intellectual disability. They are at significant risk from the physical and emotional consequences of long-term caring and the compounding effects of their own - and their son or daughter's - ageing. Despite this, these ageing parent caregivers typically do not use health and community services until a crisis occurs. Our goal is to ensure that ageing parent caregivers use health and community services appropriately and for these services to be appropriate to their needs. The proposed project therefore aims to identify the pathways that lead to or prevent ageing parent caregivers accessing services and to construct a model for ageing parent caregivers' involvement with services that could be tested with a randomised clinical trial. Narrative life history method will be used to determine how ageing parent caregivers arrived in their present circumstances and factors which influence the caring relationship, its stresses and rewards, and their experiences and views concerning services. Service providers will participate in focus groups to examine their perceptions and expectations of services for ageing parent caregivers. Characteristics of the study sample will be compared with state and national population benchmarks. The findings will inform our planned development of a multi-dimensional strategy to provide cost effective preventive health and community services for this largely neglected subgroup within the population of caregivers in Australia.Read moreRead less
NT-proBNP And The Identification And Treatment Of Structural Heart Disease And Heart Failure In High-risk Individuals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,506,479.00
Summary
Chronic heart failure (CHF) affects at least 300,000 Australians. It is a major burden on the community because of the costs of care, and the poor quality of life and premature death of affected individuals. This project will address the urgent need for better strategies to identify individuals with undiagnosed CHF and structural heart disease, and those who are destined to develop these conditions, who have so much to gain from currently available therapies for treatment and prevention.
It is clear that the rate of obesity is increasing dramatically. Better therapeutic strategies are required to treat this debilitating disease. In this study we will determine the effects of sugary drinks on the amount of food eaten and subsequent changes in weight gain. By understanding how sugary drinks affect rates of weight gain we will be able to formulate better strategies to combat obesity.