ANZCTR search results

The use of compounded topical pain creams to reduce pain and inflammation has increased dramatically, yet their effectiveness has not been well evaluated. This study compares the efficacy of two topical compound cream in reducing acute postoperative and/or chronic arthritic knee pain. In this double-blind, randomised study we examine two topical creams; Ketoprofen 10% only verses a compound cream (Ketoprofen 10% plus amitriptyline 5%, gabapentin 5%) applied twice a day. Findings of this study will identify which compound combination is more superior in reducing the knee pain in of 2 clinical populations 1) those experiencing postoperative knee pain; and 2) arthritic knee pain.

This clinical trial is assessing the safety and efficacy of a modified virus (ASN-002) to treat low risk basal cell carcinoma skin cancer alone or in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent. Who is it for? You may be eligible join this study if you are aged 18 years or more and have at least one histologically confirmed low risk nodular and/or superficial basal cell carcinoma of 6-20mm in diameter, and are in acceptable general health. Trial details This study is conducted in two parts. Participants in Part A will be administered the modified virus (ASN-002) in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent (at one of 3 different doses). Both agents will be injected directly into the same skin cancer lesion once a week for 3 weeks. Participants in Part B will receive ASN-002 only (without a chemotherapeutic agent) into one or multiple lesions once weekly for 3 weeks. All participants will have the skin cancers surgically removed approximately 5 months after the injections. Participants will be assessed in clinic and by telephone for up to 24 weeks in order to monitor safety and tolerability of treatments. The cancers will also be measured and photographed to see how they respond to treatment. It is hoped that the findings of this trial will provide information on the safety and efficacy of using ASN-002 alone and in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent for BCC.

Hip osteoarthritis is major public health problem with significant personal, social and economic burden. Exercise is central to self-management., but little is known what type of exercise is best. Our primary aim is to evaluate whether people with hip osteoarthritis respond differently to two types of exercise interventions i) lower-limb muscle strengthening and ii) lower limb muscle strengthening with aerobic physical activity. People with hip osteoarthritis will be randomly allocated into one of two different 9-month home exercise programs. Over the first 12 weeks participant will attend 9 in clinic physiotherapist appointments. The physiotherapist will prescribe a home exercise program following the exercise protocol assigned to the participant. Primary outcomes are overall hip pain and physical function measured at 12 weeks. The findings of this study will help determine which of the two exercise program are best for people with hip osteoarthritis and will guide clinicians in providing appropriate evidence-based advice for patients.

Milk Thistle has been used in medical remedies for 2000 years as a therapeutic herbal medicine in the treatment of acute and chronic liver diseases. Some of its effects have been shown to due to an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. There is also evidence that an active constituent within Milk Thistle called Silibinin inhibits an enzyme that works on the bile pigment called bilirubin which allows its excretion from the body. Inhibition of this enzyme would allow bilirubin levels to rise to produce a condition called ‘mild hyperbilirubinemia’. Many clinical studies demonstrate a dramatic reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and atherosclerosis in patients that is directly attributed to elevated bilirubin levels in the blood. This effect is in part due to the powerful anti-oxidant properties of bilirubin. The aim of this study is to see if taking Milk Thistle extract will increase bilirubin levels and over time, may provide protection from heart disease.

This study will evaluate the accuracy of an experimental CGM measuring glucose continuously in the immediate vicinity of subcutaneous insulin delivery in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) on insulin pump therapy. Glucose sensor accuracy will be evaluated over a 7 day period as well as infusion site patency and tolerability of the experimental device. Participants will be changed to a study pump for the duration of the study. In addition to utilizing the study device in a free living state, all participants will also undergo two high carbohydrate mixed meal challenges to assess the performance and accuracy of the study device.

The aim of this study is to determine whether regular consumption of cruciferous vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale) results in short-term improvement in measures related to cardiovascular disease risk, including blood pressure, arterial stiffness, glycaemic control, and circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Twenty-eight participants (50-75 years) with mildly elevated blood pressure (systolic blood pressure 120-160 mmHg) will complete two 2-week interventions in a random order, separated by a 2-week washout period. During each intervention, participants will consume 4 servings/day (300 g) of vegetables as a soup (~500-600 mL/day). The 'active' soup will consist of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale) and the ‘control’ soup will consist of other commonly consumed vegetables (potato, sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin). Both soups will be approximately matched for energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content. All measurements will be performed at the beginning and end of each intervention period.

The Ear Health team currently runs a number of community-based ear health epidemiology, health promotion and telehealth projects. One of the key challenges faced for these projects is having the right equipment to obtain a clear otoscopic image of an ear drum that can be interpreted remotely by specialists.. Effective telehealth programs need appropriate equipment that can provide high-quality images of the ear and be easy to use, as the staff using the equipment may be nurses or health workers with little previous experience of performing otoscopy (ear examinations). During Ear Portal visits, otoscopy is conducted remotely by assistants and transmitted via a store and send method to specialists for review. If remotely provided otoscopic images are of poor quality, the ability to make a diagnosis is hindered resulting in the need for repeat assessment and delays in provision of care. This is a prospective sub-study which is linked to the PCH Ear Portal main study. Participants will be recruited opportunistically at community events including Telethon Weekend and the Cockburn Integrated Health NAIDOC event in October 2019 . Otoscopic still images and short videos will be obtained using the HearScope. The results will be saved and stored for later review and comparison by ENT/Audiologists along with supporting screening questionnaires and tympanometry. The sub-study results will be used to inform best technique (images or video) for obtaining views of the eardrum by research assistants during the Ear Portal main study to facilitate telehealth assessment by the multidisciplinary team (MDT).

Metformin is the first drug chosen to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the regulatory label warns against it use in people who also have chronic liver disease but there is little published data to support this warning. This study will investigate the safety and pharmacokinetics of metformin in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) with or without type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who will be prescribed metformin (500 mg, immediate release, twice daily) for up to six weeks. We hypothesis that metformin at doses adjusted based on renal function can be safely administered to patients with CLD. Further, the pharmacokinetics of metformin in patients with CLD will be similar to those reported in patient with T2DM and no CLD.

Normal ageing is associated with a marked structural and functional reduction in the cerebrovascular system, which is linked to cognitive decline and dementia. Given the rapid increase in ageing and life expectancy, and the related medical costs associated with treatment of age-related disorders, identifying effective interventions to stop or delay the normal decline in cerebrovascular function are critical. Research has demonstrated that regular aerobic endurance exercise is associated with improved health of blood vessels in the brain in men aged 18-79 years, potentially also improving cognition and mood. This finding in endurance trained men may therefore help explain why there is a lower risk of cerebrovascular disease in this population. However, this research was undertaken in a small sample of male older adults and the function of the blood vessels in the brain to cognitive and chemical stimuli was not evaluated. Accordingly, we will investigate cerebrovascular function, mood and cognition in aerobic endurance trained and untrained middle-aged and older (50-80 years) adults. The significance of this project is that it may be the first research study to demonstrate that regular aerobic endurance training is associated with improved brain blood vessel health, cognitive function and mood in a population that is at risk of cerebrovascular disease, which is linked to cognitive decline and dementia.

Globally, by 2050, every one in two people will be myopic. It is in fact a vision-threatening public health issue. Interestingly, it has been found that there is seasonal variation in ocular growth with less growth during summer months. Additionally, ocular parameters such as eye length have also been reported to exhibit a diurnal rhythm. This observational study aims to investigate variations in ocular parameters over 24 hours and to evaluate their associations with the body clock and daily light exposure among healthy young adults.