ANZCTR search results

There is a need to identify WHY fall and fracture risk is increased among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians. Indigenous Australians have a substantially greater fracture risk: Indigenous men are 50% and women are 26%, more likely to experience a hip fracture vs non-Indigenous Australians. Hip fractures occur at a much younger age in Indigenous vs non-Indigenous Australians (men:65 vs 81yrs; women:74 vs 83yrs). Fall-related injuries in Indigenous Australians increased by an average of 10%/year, while the average increase in non-Indigenous Australians was 4.3%/year. Findings from this study will identify why falls and minimal trauma fractures are higher among Indigenous adults. Data collected will enable us to determine the age of osteoporosis (bone fragility) and sarcopenia (decreased muscle function) onset, whether these are different to non-Indigenous Australians, and the best “window” for osteoporosis and sarcopenia screening and prevention strategies. Currently, there is no reference database for DXA-derived areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in Indigenous Australians, which may result in underestimation of fracture risk in this population. Data collected will be compiled into a reference database for Indigenous Australians as a starting point to collect data from Indigenous Australians in other geographic regions, with the aim of improving fracture risk prediction. Together, these data will enable health care professionals to improve screening, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.

This study will compare the effects on myopia progression over the course of one year for eyes wearing MiSight 1 Day contact lenses compared to ACUVUE OASYS for PRESBYOPIA contact lenses.

LOCATE-NAFLD is a randomised trial, comparing two alternative models of care for NAFLD (usual care versus LOCATE-NAFLD care). Participants randomised to the intervention will be screened in the community with a non-invasive device called a Fibroscan, a scan they may otherwise have waited months to receive. The scan results can then determine if their disease, with high risk patients sent to a specialist, and low-risk patients returned to the care of their GP, reducing unnecessary hospital appointments. Through this faster assessment and stratification of patients in the community, the study aims to greatly reduce referrals for hospital-based appointments, and improve surveillance of high-risk disease, resulting in enhanced management of complications that result in avoidable, high cost hospital admissions.

This proposed pre-post test intervention study will investigate the effectiveness of Loud and Proud maintenance group therapy for speech difficulties associated with Parkinson's Disease. The goal of this therapy approach is to increase the loudness of someone with Parkinson's Disease's speech. This project will explore gains made by 20 participants following attendance at a maintenance group. It will also refine our understanding of factors influencing the gains following this therapy. This study will include participants who completed LSVT X (a less intensive version of LSVT LOUD) or LSVT LOUD intervention less than 2 years previously. the study will include cognitive measures to explore the influence of cognitive skills on outcomes, and offer home practice. Multiple baseline measurements will be carried out in order to determine if any improvements in speech made post-treatment are due to therapy.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a drug (Propranolol) is both safe and effective in preventing the spread of melanoma. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are an adult newly diagnosed with an invasive melanoma (Stage T1b-T4b, N0, M0) and are awaiting a sentinel node biopsy. Study Details All participants will take either a Propranolol capsule or a placebo capsule twice a day for 2-3 weeks before the sentinel node biopsy. Participants will not know the difference between the capsules. There are no other commitments for the participants. The biopsy will be checked for cancer, as usual, and a small amount will be used by the researchers for further analysis. It is hoped that the research will help determine whether Propranolol can be effective in preventing the spread of invasive melanoma.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Cascade program in providing peer support, developing healthy coping skills, building resilience and reducing distress in parents of child, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. The study also aims to assess the implementation of the Cascade program across national and international cancer support community organisations. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are a parent of a child with cancer, can read English and have access to a computer with internet and a webcam. In order to be involved as a facilitator of the program, you are required to be a registered health professional with experience in delivering cognitive therapy (CBT). Details of the study All participants involved in the study will have access to The Cascade intervention, an online group workshop. A trained facilitator will provide four 90-minute sessions to a group of parents of young cancer survivors. The facilitators will teach CBT techniques to areas of concern specific to parents of children who have survived cancer. Tailored supportive counselling is used in all Cascade sessions, and emphatic listening is used to normalize the range of parent experiences and promote peer discussion/support. Home practice is encouraged for parent participants, with practice exercises and examples in the provided manual. It is hoped that by providing an online means of accessing this type of psychosocial service, we can deliver this program to all those who may need it – whether it be in metropolitan or rural settings.

Financial hardship can have a major deleterious impact on the health and wellbeing of children and their families. In Australia, 1 in 6 children live in poverty, and one quarter experience deprivation (such as missing out on proper nutrition, housing and supportive personal relationships) due to financial hardship. Government aims to provide social care and support services to protect families from financial hardship; however, many families miss out. This pilot study aims to test the feasibility and short-term impact of financial counselling offered to families experiencing or at-risk of financial hardship, by systematising referral pathways between the free, universal Maternal and Child Health Service/Child and Family Health Nursing Service and a free, community-based financial counselling service.

Antioxidants are naturally-occurring compounds found in plant-derived foods and beverages, such as coffee. The antioxidants we are going to focus on in this study are the chlorogenic acids. These are a family of strong antioxidants present in coffee that may show some health benefits. The amount of chlorogenic acid intake in a typical diet is high and, for people who drink it, coffee is the major dietary source of these antioxidants. Coffee contains high levels of chlorogenic acids which consist of phenolic acids including caffeic acid, ferulic acid and dimethoxycinnamic acid. Dimethoxycinnamic acid (DMCA) is found at high levels in coffee, and is very well absorbed. It is found in the bloodstream just a few minutes after drinking. However, the final form in urine is a mystery. Since DMCA is only found in significant amounts in coffee, then if we could find the chemical form in urine, it could be a useful biomarker of coffee intake in populations. Knowing the chemical form would also allow us to define its pathway of metabolism.

Gallstone disease is very common, and results in a large number of hospital admissions per year. Some patients with gallstones can develop a blockage in their main bile duct due to stones, which can put them at risk of severe infection, jaundice or other problems like pancreatitis. There are several ways in which surgeons can go about removing the stones from the bile duct, including during surgery or via endoscopy (camera test down the mouth). There is also an option of placing a stent in the bile duct. There is currently no agreement between surgeons on which of these options is the best. We have developed a new protocol to determine if patients can be safely sent home after surgery with a bile duct stent, and then return for an endoscopy electively. We aim to prove that this option is safe, and also improves and steamlines the patient experience.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of the novel physiologic pacing cardiac implant. Patients with cardiac rhythm disorders may require implantation of a permanent pacemaker (PPM) to stimulate myocardial contraction by leads implanted into the heart. Technology now allows lead implantation at more physiological sites for ventricular activation. The performance of myocardial contraction can be evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with the analysis technique of global longitudinal strain (GLS) which we will utilize to assess patients with physiologic pacing.