ANZCTR search results

90% of subjects undergoing dialysis for chronic kidney disease (CKD) require regular treatment of anaemia with iron and erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs), costing in excess of $150 million per year. Anaemia results from deficient production of erythropoietin and reduced Fe absorption and utilization. The latter results from excessive production of hepcidin in response to elevated interleukin 6 (IL6) levels. Recently, we conducted a 4-week pilot study of pentoxifylline (PTF) in anaemic patients with CKD and showed it was effective at reducing serum IL6 levels and improving haemoglobin levels. In this study we will determine longer-term efficacy by administering PTF to anaemic CKD patients for 6 months. If successful, we would recommend that therapy with PTF, which is 5% the cost of ESA therapy, could become the standard of care.

The Young Women’s Heart Health Study aims to assess the influence and sustainability of a 12-week multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention - comprising of physical activity, nutrition education and cognitive behavioural therapy - on cardiovascular disease risk factors in young inactive Caucasian women aged 18 to 30 years who have abdominal obesity. Cardio-metabolic markers analysed at baseline, post-intervention and 3-months post intervention will include: waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, aerobic fitness, triglycerides, fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, hsCRP HDL-cholesterol, cardiac structure and function, myocardial strain, vascular endothelial function and arterial intima-media thickness. It is hypothesised that the lifestyle intervention will reduce abdominal obesity and improve cardio-metabolic markers. The outcome of this work aspires to advance the understanding of heart health in young women.

The aim of this pilot study is to explore the feasibility and efficacy of a rehabilitative dance intervention designed to reduce disability and to improve quality of life in a small sample of adults with Parkinson’s disease. Twenty adults with PD will be recruited and randomly allocated to either a usual care group or an 8-week dance intervention. Gait, balance and quality of life will be measured in all participants at baseline, 8 weeks and 3 months. Additionally, the intervention will be assessed for feasibility in terms of adherence, attrition safety and participant acceptability. The results of this study are designed to inform and verify the methodology for a larger subsequent RCT and to determine the feasibility of dancing for a small group of people with PD

The objective of the study is to determine if acupuncture is effective for improving recovery from maximal exercise, and whether instruction about the treatment influences the treatment effect. The current study employs a balanced placebo design consisting of a 2x2 factorial design with treatment allocation and expected allocation as factors. A total of 75 participants are expected to be recruited from the University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown and the general public. Participants are allocated to one of five groups; acupuncture with high expectancy, acupuncture with low expectancy, placebo with high expectancy, placebo with low expectancy, and a control no treatment group. All participants will attended a single testing session consisting of 15 minutes of supine rest (baseline), a maximal exercise test to volitional fatigue, and one hour of supine recovery with or without the treatment allocated. Oxygen consumption, heart rate, blood pressure, blood lactate, respiratory exchange ratio, and respiratory rate will be monitored throughout the session.

This prospective single centre outcome study will document in a longitudinal manner the clinical outcome of high tibial osteotomy. Patients who undergo a High Tibial Osteotomy by Dr Leo Pinczewski between 2000 and 2002 will be invited to participate. At 5 and 10 years after their surgery patients will be contacted by the researchers and invited to return for clinical assessment.

A 2-Part, Single-Dose Study to Evaluate the Interaction of Etoricoxib and Tizanidine MR when Co-administered or Administered Alone in Healthy Subjects MK0663B (combination treatment) is being developed for the treatment of acute pain in musculoskeletal conditions with swelling and muscle spasm. However, this study is in healthy volunteers only.

This study examines survivorship and the clinical outcome in a series of 340 consecutive patients 10 years after TKR with the Genesis II prosthesis. All arthroplasties were performed by a single surgeon over a 3 year period.

Injury to the ACL is a well-recognized risk factor for post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis (OA). Degenerative radiographic changes are evident in 50-70% of people 10-15 years after the injury. In such cases, surgical reconstruction does not typically improve OA prognosis. Since knee OA has the potential to have a substantial negative impact on an individual, affecting their quality of life, physical function, and work status, it is important that this subgroup of individuals be investigated. It is well established that knee biomechanics, including joint motions and loads, are altered following ACL injury, and are not restored with surgical reconstruction. These biomechanical changes are frequently reported as a cause of cartilage damage and subsequent post-traumatic knee OA, due to changes in joint contact pressures and load distribution. Therefore, the focus of this program of research will be directed towards an intervention that may restore more normal knee joint biomechanics. The targeted brace (Donjoy unloader brace) has the potential to enhance knee joint function. It is primarily designed to control abnormal sagittal and transverse plane movements associated with ACL reconstruction, in addition to correcting frontal plane malalignment, which is a common feature of knee OA. The brace is targeted to an individual by compartmental distribution of OA (medial or lateral tibiofemoral, TFJ) and frontal plane knee alignment (varus or valgus). The brace can adjusted in the frontal plane to offload either medial or lateral TFJ compartment for use in medial and lateral TFJ OA, respectively. The degree of frontal plane adjustment is based on individual’s comfort during walking. However, no study to date has evaluated the capacity of knee bracing to restore knee joint function in individuals with knee OA following ACL reconstruction. The aims of this study are to evaluate, in individuals with knee OA after ACL reconstruction: i) the immediate effects of the targeted brace on lower limb biomechanics; ii) the short-term (4-week) effects of the targeted brace on pain, confidence and physical function; and iii) the medium-term (4-month) effects of the brace on pain, function and quality of life. Given that the knee brace has the potential to reduce knee pain and enhance physical function in arthritic patients, it is hypothesized that the immediate effects of the brace will be to improve knee joint kinematics, reduce external joint moments (associated with ACLR), reduce pain, as well as improve confidence, physical function and quality of life in these patients. The findings of this study will reveal whether knee biomechanics in people who have developed knee OA after ACL reconstruction can be altered by the targeted knee brace. It will also reveal whether the targeted brace can reduce pain, improve confidence, function and quality of life. If the brace can modulate the abnormal biomechanics in the reconstructed knee, it may slow OA progression and may be used to prevent the development of OA following ACLR, thus reducing the associated personal and societal costs of this common and debilitating condition.

This study will assess if a safe non-invasive transcutantous electrical stimulation can treat chronic constipation from the anorectal retention sub-group (the most common type of chronic constipation). Hypothesis TESIC can increase large bowel motility and defecation to overcome chronic constipation in children with AR, and is more effective than current best treatment (CBT, laxatives, diet, toilet timing and posture, education about brain-gut axis) alone.

To determine whether: (i) A protein preload stimulates glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) secretion, and thereby reduces postprandial glycaemia following a carbohydrate-containing meal relative to a control condition. (ii) Galvus (vildagliptin) enhances the effect of a protein preload to stimulate GLP-1 and GIP secretion, and thereby further reduces postprandial glycaemia following a carbohydrate-containing meal.