A new $2million research centre at the University of Queensland could reduce Australia鈥檚 spiralling rates of cardiovascular disease through early detection.
The Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Cardiovascular Disease and Metabolic Disorders will be set up at 国产探花鈥檚 School of at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in 2003, following a five-year funding grant from the Commonwealth Government.
Centre staff are developing cardiovascular imaging techniques that enable abnormalities to be detected in the heart and blood vessels, before the development of serious disease.
Early detection would allow interventions that could greatly improve the outcomes of patients with diabetes, hypertension and renal disease.
Centre Director, Professor Tom Marwick, said the research could have dramatic effects on the rates of cardiovascular disease, Australia鈥檚 number one killer.
鈥淲e currently have an epidemic of cardiovascular disease in this country,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 widely acknowledged that we have to act to identify and treat the disease before it becomes clinically apparent. Early detection, before symptoms appear, could change the course of disease.鈥�
Professor Marwick said Centre research would also focus on reducing the progression of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases through lifestyle intervention, especially in patients with diabetes.
鈥淧eople with diabetes are at great risk of developing heart diseases, such as coronary and large vessel disease,鈥� he said.
鈥淥ne of the areas we鈥檙e looking at is the role of insulin resistance in the development of abnormal cardiac and vascular function. Obesity has a pivotal role in the development of insulin resistance, and even modest weight loss improves its metabolic complications.
鈥淲e鈥檙e currently evaluating a program that will teach and promote the benefits of physical activity and dietary intervention for diabetic patients. It will be home-based, and we鈥檒l supervise patients through telemedicine.鈥�
Associate Professor John Prins, Director of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Princess Alexandra Hospital, is a Principal Investigator in the Centre.
He said he was optimistic that the results of the program would be complementary to those achieved with current treatment approaches.
鈥淭he problem facing patients with diabetes and/or obesity is that their cardiovascular disease often remains asymptomatic and undetected for long periods of time,鈥� he said.
鈥淐urrent management of these patients relies on treatment rather than prevention, so a program aimed at early prevention of disease should provide substantial long-term benefits for the patients and the community.鈥�
Centre researchers would also use the new imaging techniques to monitor the effects of the prevention measures, he said.
The new Centre brings together five expert groups of medical and allied health researchers from throughout the University of Queensland.
Media: Further information, contact Professor Tom Marwick, telephone (07) 3240 5346 email: tmarwick@medicine.pa.uq.edu.au
