Better treatment and prevention at the heart of new cardiovascular grants
Two of University of Newcastle researchers have received funding to tackle some of the most prevalent chronic health conditions - stroke, diabetes and heart disease.
Backed by NSW Health's Cardiovascular Senior and Early- to Mid-Career Researcher Grant, the researchers are leading projects to deliver better health outcomes and contribute to improving the wellbeing of our communities.
Dr Erin Clarke has been awarded $449,000 to examine how changes to dietary advice, combined with an assessment of genetic risk could lower blood pressure and improve heart health. Dr Clarke is a researcher from the University's School of Health Sciences and *HMRI's Food and Nutrition research program.
The study will involve identifying a metabolic signature, through small molecules produced in the process of metabolism that circulate in the bloodstream. These molecules can be found in plasma and urine samples and can help identify health conditions, disease risk and dietary intake.
The project team will also look at blood pressure readings and the genetic risk of developing hypertension and how these elements respond to heart healthy dietary patterns.
“Not all individuals respond to the same medical nutrition interventions and more research is needed on how we can improve and identify personalised treatments for those at risk of developing heart disease,” Dr Clarke said.
“We want to generate new knowledge about how we can use personalised nutrition to manage and prevent high blood pressure in people with an increased risk of heart disease including people with type 2 diabetes."
Dr Carlos Garcia-Esperon has received $450,000 to evaluate new heart imaging techniques that could identify the cause of a stroke and prevent future strokes. He is a Conjoint Associate Professor in the University's School of Medicine and Public Health, Director of Acute Stroke Services at the John Hunter Hospital and part of HMRI's Heart and Stroke Research Program.
Ischaemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a brain artery, affecting nearly 50,000 Australians each year. In many of these patients the cause of stroke remains unclear, potentially increasing the risk of suffering a recurrent stroke.
Dr Garcia-Esperon will explore the benefit of adding a heart scan to the routinely performed brain scans for people who present to hospital emergency departments with stroke-like symptoms. Many strokes are caused by a clot formed inside of the heart chambers, and expediting access to these scans may trigger an immediate change in how a patient's symptoms are managed.
“The extra scan only adds a few minutes to the process and it could greatly improve the chances of finding out if the stroke was caused by a heart problem,” he said.
“It then allows doctors to prescribe the most suitable medication and reduce the likelihood of another stroke.”
The study will also look out how the introduction of cardio CT scans could improve the detection of atrial fibrillation, a heart condition known to cause some strokes, but is not always easy to detect.
Once data has been collected, then next step is to use the research findings to create a trial testing different blood thinning medication to dissolve those clots found inside of the heart.
*HMRI is a partnership between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.
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