One of the current challenges in public health is to translate the progress from the Human Genome Project into reduced morbidity and mortality from disease. Once genetic defects are characterised, knowledge about the variability in severity of disease in mutation carriers, is important from a public health perspective. Hereditary Haemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disorder of iron overload that results in a wide spectrum of disease, varying from non-specific symptoms to severe damage to l ....One of the current challenges in public health is to translate the progress from the Human Genome Project into reduced morbidity and mortality from disease. Once genetic defects are characterised, knowledge about the variability in severity of disease in mutation carriers, is important from a public health perspective. Hereditary Haemochromatosis (HH) is a common genetic disorder of iron overload that results in a wide spectrum of disease, varying from non-specific symptoms to severe damage to liver, heart, pancreas and joints from iron deposition. It is easily treatable by regular blood donation, and population-based screening for HH has therefore been advocated. In this study we aim to address gaps in the existing data on HH regarding dietary and lifestyle factors that contribute to the variable clinical picture of HH. The study will be based on the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, a cohort of 31,500 men and women who have been followed for approximately 10 years. Information on dietary and lifestyle factors was collected at initial enrollment, along with a blood specimen. We will test all non-Southern European participants (31,176) for the common HH mutations in the HFE gene and then select a subgroup of 1150 people, including all people with the main genetic defect as well as a comparison group, for further clinical followup. Participants will have genetic counselling and informed consent will be obtained. Participants will complete a short questionnaire and give a blood sample for measurement of iron overload, liver function, and other relevant blood tests, then undergo a brief clinical examination. Results of all tests will be given at a followup visit by genetic counsellor or physician. This study will provide important data on natural history of HH risk factors that influence variability in clinical presentation and the association of HFE mutations with chronic diseases and all cause mortality.Read moreRead less
The Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists' Collaboration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$166,250.00
Summary
Treatments that lower blood pressure are well known to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and several different classes of blood pressure lowering drug are now widely used. While all the main classes of drug offer protection against serious complications, it is possible that one drug class may be better than the others. However, whether this is so remains uncertain and cannot be reliably determined by any one single study. The Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists' Collaboration i ....Treatments that lower blood pressure are well known to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and several different classes of blood pressure lowering drug are now widely used. While all the main classes of drug offer protection against serious complications, it is possible that one drug class may be better than the others. However, whether this is so remains uncertain and cannot be reliably determined by any one single study. The Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists' Collaboration is a large international project led by a group of Australian researchers based at the Institute for International Health in Sydney. The aim of the project is to systematically gather together sufficient information from large-scale studies to make it possible to answer important outstanding questions about the effects of different classes of blood pressure lowering drugs on major outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke. The Collaboration includes many of the leading blood pressure researchers from around the world and will combine data from more than 30 trials and over 200,000 individuals. On the basis of the overview results it should be possible to provide doctors with important new information about the best blood pressure lowering treatment for their patients. A previous review of the effects of blood pressure drugs completed by the same group was published in The Lancet in 2000, and has been an important aid to many professional and regulatory groups in the year since. Reliable information about the effects of different classes of blood pressure lowering drugs is of great importance. Even if differences between the effects of different classes of drug are small, the implications for the prevention of blood pressure-related complications would be substantial because of the very large numbers of people taking them, worldwide. This collaborative overview project offers a unique opportunity to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information on the subject.Read moreRead less
Collaborative Overview Of Cohort Studies Of Cardiovascular Diseases In The Asia Pacific Region
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$230,388.00
Summary
Throughout Asia and the Pacific, cardiovascular diseases are now a leading cause of death and disability. However, most information about the causes of these diseases comes from studies conducted in North America and Europe, and there are few data available from the Asia Pacific region. Because patterns of cardiovascular diseases and levels of risk factors are very different in the West and East, it is possible that important differences exist in the relative contribution of different factors to ....Throughout Asia and the Pacific, cardiovascular diseases are now a leading cause of death and disability. However, most information about the causes of these diseases comes from studies conducted in North America and Europe, and there are few data available from the Asia Pacific region. Because patterns of cardiovascular diseases and levels of risk factors are very different in the West and East, it is possible that important differences exist in the relative contribution of different factors to disease occurrence in different regions. For example, an earlier project, from which the current study evolved, demonstrated that the association of blood pressure with stroke was about two times steeper in China and Japan than in the West. The present project has been initiated to further investigate the causes of common cardiovascular diseases in populations of the Asia Pacific region. It will involve more than 40 studies conducted in at least 9 countries from the region. These studies include more than 500,000 individuals followed for an average of 8-9 years. Data from 30 studies involving 450,000 individuals has already been provided to the applicants. Analyses will be conducted to provide region-, age-and sex-specific estimates of the effects various risk factors on several types of cardiovascular diseases. The risk factors of interest include: blood pressure, total cholesterol and its subfractions, triglycerides, diabetes, obesity, alcohol consumption, occupation and education. In addition to providing more precise estimates of the effects of established risk factors such as blood pressure, this project will, provide new data on several other risk factors not well investigated in this region. The results should be of importance in determining priorities for cardiovascular disease prevention. They should also be of relevance for predicting changes in the extent of the cardiovascular disease epidemics facing countries in the region.Read moreRead less