Environmental Influences On Allergic Airways Disease From Birth To 8yrs: Long-term Outcomes Of A Randomised Trial (CAPS)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$530,000.00
Summary
The prevalence of asthma in Australia is among the highest in the world yet no trials of primary prevention have been conducted which address the most common known causative agent (housedust mite allergens) and the most common known protective factor (dietary omega-3 fatty acids). Until the effectiveness of interventions which address these factors is certain, it will not be possible to give confident advice about how to prevent asthma. We are applying to continue follow up of the cohort of the ....The prevalence of asthma in Australia is among the highest in the world yet no trials of primary prevention have been conducted which address the most common known causative agent (housedust mite allergens) and the most common known protective factor (dietary omega-3 fatty acids). Until the effectiveness of interventions which address these factors is certain, it will not be possible to give confident advice about how to prevent asthma. We are applying to continue follow up of the cohort of the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study (CAPS) which has been underway since mid-1997. CAPS is a randomised controlled trial in which 616 infants at high risk of developing asthma because of a family history have been enrolled. The interventions include allergen reduction and dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids. The interventions are designed to have maximum effect but be simple to implement by parents. Objective and subjective measurements of exposures, atopy, diet and asthmatic symptoms are being collected at 3 month intervals and at medical assessments when the children are 18 months, 3 and 5 years old. The interventions are stopped at age 5 years. The continued follow up of the cohort to age 8 will enable us to test conclusively if the interventions have had a positive effect. If so, CAPS will form the basis for a nationwide public health campaign which will have the potential to reduce the incidence of childhood asthma in Australia.Read moreRead less
The prevalence of asthma in Australia is amongst the highest in the world yet no trials of primary prevention have been conducted which address the most common known causative agent (housedust mite allergens) and the most common known protective factor (dietary omega-3 fatty acids). Until the effectiveness of interventions which address these factors is certain, the value of the wide array of advice given to asthmatics by various health institutions will not be known. We are applying to continue ....The prevalence of asthma in Australia is amongst the highest in the world yet no trials of primary prevention have been conducted which address the most common known causative agent (housedust mite allergens) and the most common known protective factor (dietary omega-3 fatty acids). Until the effectiveness of interventions which address these factors is certain, the value of the wide array of advice given to asthmatics by various health institutions will not be known. We are applying to continue the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study (CAPS) which has been underway since mid-1997. CAPS is a randomised controlled trial in which 616 infants at high risk of developing asthma because of a family history have been enrolled. The interventions include allergen reduction and dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids. The interventions are designed to have maximum effect but be simple to implement by parents. Several measures of compliance are being collected and regular contact is maintained though telephone calls and frequent home visits. Objective and subjective measurements of exposures, atopy, diet and asthmatic symptoms are being collected at 3 month intervals and at medical assessments when the children are 18 months, 3 and 5 years old. It is essential that we continue the study until all children are aged 5 and we will be able to test conclusively whether the interventions have had a positive effect. If so, CAPS will form the basis for a nationwide public health campaign which will have the potential to reduce the incidence of childhood asthma in Australia.Read moreRead less
Preventing Falls In Older Aboriginal People: The Ironbark Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,026,699.00
Summary
Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is ageing: in 1991, Aboriginal people aged 55 years and over accounted for only 6% of Australia’s total Aboriginal population and this proportion is predicted to double to 12% by 2021, with resulting increased in ageing conditions such as falls. This large scale trial in NSW, SA and WA will test the effectiveness of a community based program in reducing falls and improving function in older Aboriginal people.
Community-wide Active Case Finding For Tuberculosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,422,325.00
Summary
During 2010, 8.8 million people developed TB and 1.45 million people died due to the disease. In this project, which will be conducted in Vietnam, one of the countries in our region with a particularly high prevalence of TB, we will test a new form of an old intervention: community-wide screening for TB, not with x-rays but by testing sputum. If the project is successful it has the potential to lead to a giant leap forward towards the elimination of TB as a global health problem.
An RCT Of Cannabinoid Replacement Therapy (Sativex®) For The Management Of Treatment-resistant Cannabis Dependent Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$788,133.00
Summary
This project is the first-ever outpatient RCT to test if the pharmaceutical cannabinoid Sativex can safely and cost-effectively deliver better treatment outcomes for patients seeking treatment for chronic cannabis dependence. Sativex is a mouth spray with equal parts THC and cannabidiol, and appears to have a safer pharmacological profile than illicit cannabis or synthetic THC alone. Thus Sativex may lead to lower rates of psychiatric adverse events and increased cannabis abstinence rates.
Eighty percent of adults will suffer back pain at some time during their life. More than one in three will develop chronic back pain and cost Australia about $9 billion per year. We can now identify those who will develop chronic back pain early. This project will test a new method of treating these people who are risk of chronic back pain. We predict that our short and targeted intervention will stop these people from developing of chronic back pain and this will lead to massive savings to the ....Eighty percent of adults will suffer back pain at some time during their life. More than one in three will develop chronic back pain and cost Australia about $9 billion per year. We can now identify those who will develop chronic back pain early. This project will test a new method of treating these people who are risk of chronic back pain. We predict that our short and targeted intervention will stop these people from developing of chronic back pain and this will lead to massive savings to the Australian communityRead moreRead less
A Randomised Controlled Trial To Evaluate The Effectiveness And Cost-effectiveness Of Chlamydia Testing In General Practice.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,377,557.00
Summary
Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmissible infection in Australia that can lead to infertility in women. About 4% of young adults have it. Most people with chlamydia do not have any symptoms and will be unaware they have it. Chlamydia is easy to diagnose and treat, but it is not known whether regular testing can reduce its spread. We propose to conduct a trial to evaluate whether annual testing for 16 to 29 year olds works and whether it would be a good use of public health funds.
The Effectiveness Of A Comprehensive ‘universal’ And ‘targeted’ Intervention To Prevent Substance Use And Related Harms In Adolescents: The CAP Project
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$755,906.00
Summary
Alcohol and other drug use are common amongst Australian adolescents and the disability associated with this use is considerable. Prevention is clearly needed, yet we have few models of well implemented prevention programs that are effective in maximisising prevention outcomes.The current proposal addresses this gap by evaluating a novel approach to preventing substance use and related harms in adolescents by combining effective 'universal' and 'targeted' school-based prevention programs in a su ....Alcohol and other drug use are common amongst Australian adolescents and the disability associated with this use is considerable. Prevention is clearly needed, yet we have few models of well implemented prevention programs that are effective in maximisising prevention outcomes.The current proposal addresses this gap by evaluating a novel approach to preventing substance use and related harms in adolescents by combining effective 'universal' and 'targeted' school-based prevention programs in a sustainable delivery platform.Read moreRead less
Lung disease is a major cause of death and disability world-wide. Tuberculosis was responsible for 1.4 million deaths in 2011. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been high priority diseases in Australia for many years. It was estimated that there were over 3 million deaths attributable to particulate air pollution in 2010. In this Fellowship I will undertake a series of projects designed to improve our understanding of these diseases and their causes.
National Clinical Centre Of Research Excellence In Severe Asthma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,597,952.00
Summary
Severe Asthma remains a large burden for the Australian community. It does not respond to current management approaches. We will develop and implement a targetted therapy approach to severe asthma that will involve assessment of needs of people with severe asthma, community burden form severe asthma, biomarkers and linked treatment strategies, as well as knowledge transfer tools and training of the health and medical workforce.