The results of a global study that began at the Menzies Institute has been published in the top-ranked medical journal in the world.
Global study started at Menzies yields important results for cardiovascular health
The New England Journal of Medicine released the findings of an International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort Consortium study, which included data from seven cohorts from Australia, the United States and Finland. The study tracked participants from childhood to adulthood and confirmed that risk factors present in childhood are directly related 8,500 children selected from Australian schools in 1985. Of these, almost 170 were Tasmanian.Thechildhood risk factors found to predict cardiovascular disease in adulthood were high blood pressure, to heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular problems later in life.
The Director of the Menzies Institute, decades,were40,000forbeenProfessorMenzies’ProfessorDistinguishedAlisonVennandfirstDirector,EmeritusTerryDwyer,haveinvolvedwiththestudymanyyears.Morethanparticipantsworldwidetrackedforseveralincludingnearly
Menzies Bulletin 1 #0107 Bulletin
The results emphasise the importance of cardiovascularbeginning disease prevention early in life. cholesterol and triglycerides; being overweight or obese; and smoking. The results obtained from this study emphasise the importance of beginning cardiovascular disease prevention early in life. While today’s children and adolescents are less likely to smoke than they did in the 1970s and ’80s, overweight and obesity are much more common. By increasing our public health efforts to reduce risk-factor levels in childhood we can help ensure the cardiovascular health of the community in years to come.
In news that might give you an incentive to get up and moving, we also have research that shows participating in parkrun is safe and fun for people with knee osteoarthritis and can help with pain management.Onapersonal note, it has been satisfying to see the culmination of decades of my research into the childhood determinants of adult cardiovascular disease and an international collaboration, which began at Menzies. This research has tracked
Preven T S T roke: Join our re S earch T rial Did you know that one in four people will have a stroke in their lifetime? Knowing your risk factors for stroke may help with prevention. The PERsonalised Knowledge to reduce the risk of Stroke (PERKS) clinical trial compares two different ways of showing people their risk factors for stroke. We will test whether one method is better than the other at helping people manage their stroke risk factors. Stroke risk factors are things such as blood pressure, exercise and diet. For more information, email Gemma Kitsos on gemma.kitsos@utas.edu.au
Menzies will be increasingly contacting our supporters via email. If you would like to provide Menzies with your current email address, please email Menzies.Advancement@utas.edu.au or phone 6226 7707. Thank you. Would you like to keep up to date with the latest Menzies news? Find us on Facebook and ‘like’ our page. You can read all our Bulletins and reports electronically at issuu.com Keep up with our news Read Join our PERKS International Clinical Trial
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Kind Regards, Distinguished Professor Alison DirectorVenn
As has been the case during the whole pandemic there is still much work to be done to understand the longterm impacts of the novel coronavirus and what it means for the future. The colder months also mean the inevitable need to warm our homes, and our Deputy Director Professor Graeme Zosky has led an analysis on the health impact of gas heating and cooking in households with some results that might surprise you.
It’s been a cold winter in Tasmania, with rising instances of COVID-19 in the community. It has satisfyingbeento see the culmination of decades of my research into the cardiovasculardeterminantschildhoodofadultdisease.
children in Australia, Finland and the United States since their youth, with findings published in one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, the New England Journal of Medicine
Director’s message
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Poor sleep: a new symptom of MS?
CAR researchers are calling on governments to provide incentives to help people to replace their gas appliances with electric appliances including in rental properties. These include subsidy schemes for low-income households. There is also a call for governments to introduce policies and incentives to ensure better ventilation of homes with a focus on social housing and rentals and the introduction of a national indoor air quality framework.
New research from Menzies has found that poor sleep may be an independent symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS).
cooking WiTh gaS noT a healThy choice – STuDy 1,717 AMSLS participants showed that people with MS who were younger, overweight or obese, those with higher disability levels, those who had a relapse in the past 12 months, and those who reported having higher levels of some MS symptoms (including fatigue and cognitive symptoms, feelings of anxiety and depression and pain and sensory symptoms) There are a variety of steps people can take to minimise their risk to health when it comes to gas use inside the home, including improved ventilation and replacing your gas appliances with electric ones.
Analysis of responses from
M ulTI ple scleros I s
Professor Graeme Zosky, Chief Investigator of CAR and Deputy Director of the Menzies Institute. improving sleep quality may improvesubstantiallyqualityof life in people living with MS.
In a position paper from the Centre for Air pollution, energy and health Research (CAR) – “The health impacts of gas use and extraction” – scientists outline how household gas use for cooking and heating produces a variety of air pollutants that affect lung health, especially for those withProfessorasthma.Graeme Zosky, Chief Investigator of CAR and Deputy Director of the Menzies Institute, used the position paper to warn of the dangers of gas use in households. Gas use in the home It suggests that improving sleep quality may substantially improve quality of life in people living with MS. In this study, performed as part of the Australian MS Longitudinal Study (AMSLS), a national collaborative research platform of MS Australia, researchers examined how sleep related to 13 common MS symptoms. The study, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and worsens air quality and this has impacts on people’s health, in particular their respiratory health. Research has previously shown that approximately 12 per cent of childhood asthma can be attributed to gas cooking stoves. That is a huge number when considering that Australia has around 460,000 children with asthma. reported a lower sleep quality after accounting for other factors. Conversely, when the researchers looked at education levels, people with MS who had completed a university degree were less likely to report poor sleep in this study.
Psychiatry, aimed to determine whether sleep affected health-related quality of life, independent of these common symptoms. Dr Laura epidemiologistLaslett,and study author acknowledged that sleep difficulties are common in the community, but found that they are even more common in people with MS (33-45% vs about 65%).
Gas cooking has become a central part of many of our kitchens. However, scientists are now so concerned with the health impacts stemming from cooking and heating with gas that they’re recommending people switch over to electric cooking and heating and are also calling on governments to help make this transition easier.
Sleep dysfunction stood out as being substantially associated with health-related quality of life independent of other symptoms of multiple sclerosis.Thenext step is to test interventions and treatments for sleep dysfunction in people with MS, with the aim of reducing symptom severity and health-relatedimprovingqualityof life.
Menzies researcher named as Tasmanian Tall Poppy
Dr Suzi Claflin has been recognised as a Tasmanian Tall Poppy. The Tall Poppy campaign has made aleadershipengagedatowardsachievementssignificantbuildingmorepubliclyscientificinustralia. Once again, one of our researchers has been recognised as a Tall Poppy. Dr Suzi Claflin received this award in recognition of her work in science communication and supporting the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) community. was launched in 2009 and has seen 25 Tall Poppies across theDrstate.Claflin’s research has two main parts. She has developed a free online course about MS, the Understanding MS Massive Open Online Course, and she is investigating how it withtheyandinformation,livingbetterunderstandimproved.thattriespeopleserviceshealthcarestudiesofincreasesparticipantsaffectsandtheirqualitylife.Secondly,sheaccesstoandsupportamongwithMSandtoidentifywaysaccesscanbeHermaingoalistohowtoprovidepeoplewithMSwiththesupport,healthcarethatneedtolivewellMS.
AWA r D s In Memoriam
The Tall createdCampaignPoppywasin1998by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) to recognise and celebrate youngerandscientificintellectualAustralianandexcellencetoencourageAustralians to follow in the footsteps of our STEM stars. It has made TallTheleadershipengagedbuildingachievementssignificanttowardsamorepubliclyscientificinAustralia.TasmanianYoungPoppyCampaign We gratefully acknowledge gifts made from the following estates: Estate of the late Thea Caro Estate of the late Helen Hawley Tanner Estate of the late Rosemary Ann Lynch We gratefully acknowledge gifts made in honour of: Paul MargaretHelenWarrenSamuelBruceHadynMurielKayeProfDianeCharlesChristopherJohnJudithCookCracknellDalcoJPHemmingAHindsMaddenLyndsayMcLeodJRabsonESluceGStaggardJSushamesRVincentWescombeFWilsonKYoung
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One sentence in your Will can fund life-saving medical research. If you would like more information, please contact the Advancement Office on 03 6226 1920. Bequests save lives by funding research. Thank you. how will you be remembered?
Menzies Bulletin 5 F u ND r AI s ING
With Tasmania having the highest incidence of stroke per capita in Australia , we are pleased to report that donations to this year’s appeal have now exceeded $100,000, which will help fund vital research into stroke prevention, cause and care. We already know that 80%
For the Menzies Winter Appeal this year we featured the story of Reece Davies, a Hobart mother of two who had a stroke at just 37 years old.
“We need programs to help survivors and their families recover after stroke by understanding what has happened and guide them on a way forward,” says Reece, who is now a vocal advocate for stroke prevention. It’s not too late to make a tax-deductible donation to Menzies to support our research in the areas that most impact Tasmanians. Give now at utas.edu.au/donatewww.menzies. or email us on utas.edu.auuniversity.giving@ to enquire about leaving a gift in your will to help Tasmanians leading healthier, longer and better lives.
of strokes can be prevented by managing risk factors and staying healthy through daily exercise, eating well, eliminating cigarettes and alcohol, and keeping blood pressure low, but for those who are impacted by stroke, we want to ensure they go on to live life to the fullest.
While Reece’s story isn’t typical – she is among the 20% without common risk factors – her situation clearly illustrates the need for more research into ways to improve outcomes for those who have experienced a stroke. Despite being young and healthy, it took eight months of rehabilitation, exercising five to six hours a day, before Reece could return home full-time and care for her children. She has now made a full recovery, but some aren’t so lucky. Up to 20% of people who have a stroke remain dependent on others for their daily living a year after their stroke.
Winter stroke appeal strikes a chord
We need programs to help survivors and their families recover after stroke by aandwhatunderstandinghashappenedguidethemonwayforward.
There is great potential for community activities such as parkrun to promote physical activity in people with chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis.
The profile, outputs and continued legacy of the Menzies Institute was a drawcard and aligning part of the Menzies Strategy with data capabilities will be a key focus of my work. What is your role within the institute?
The findings were that people with knee osteoarthritis can participate in parkrun and find it enjoyable. Attending one parkrun event per week for four weeks resulted in large improvements in symptoms and an increase in overall physical activity levels.
While some volunteers with knee osteoarthritis were apprehensive about participating, with support from study staff, many of them were able to do so.
The ‘parkrun Practice’ initiative has been launched in Australia, encouraging GPs to refer their patients to parkrun
What brought you to Menzies? In short, securing the role of the Manager for the Tasmanian Data Linkage Unit (TDLU) has brought me to the wonderful State of Tasmania, which I have always enjoyed visiting over the years and am now embracing the cold as I become a Taswegian. The diversity of the role and the new ofappealingstructureorganisationaloftheUnitwastobeapartcontributingtothe further growth of data linkage administration within Tasmania and more broadly nationally.
The weekly ritual is a global phenomenon of free, 5km walk or run events held once per week in public green spaces.
What is the most interesting aspect of this work? Data linkage and research projects take time; however, the results of both the linkage extracts and projects are impactful. Published papers and results can completely inform and change policy and practices speaking to areas of need and improvement in our andistowardsbighoweverchallengeshealthofservicesdataandstrategicContributingcommunities.tothedevelopmentcollaborationofsharingandlinkagewithintheStateTasmaniatoimproveandmedicalisabiggoal,Ialwaysthinkpicture,andworkingachievingthisthesourceofinterestcommitment.
Knee osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and causes pain and reduced function in the joint. This can
Associate Professor Dawn Aitken, leader of the Musculoskeletal Health and Disease Theme at the Menzies Institute, said this was where the idea for involving parkrun in her research came from.
Menzies Bulletin 6 H e A lTH Parkrun fun can help ease knee pain impact on people’s ability and willingness to participate in physical activity and exercise. However, exercise is known to be one of the best treatments.
What is the part of your work that makes you the proudest? Early days however, in the short time that I have been in the role, the team’s outputs and achievements have been many, and they have contributed to some significant research projects to change policy, processes or attract further funding and this is what I am keen to be a part of achieving. A recent example is the case study of Matthew Jose’s Chronic Kidney research project which involved linking pathology data with hospital admitted Registrythepresentationsemergencypatients,departmentandTasmaniaCancerdata. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I’m always up for a scenic hike, game of golf, visit to a winery or good food and welcome suggestions of places to visit and experience. Three Capes is on my to-do list!
There are more than 400 sites in Australia and 2,200 worldwide. Seventeen people with knee osteoarthritis and low physical activity levels were asked to walk in four weekly parkruns at the Queens Domain in Hobart.
Working alongside the TDLU Director, Graeme Zosky, and managing the operational and s TAFF pro FI le Mel Trebilcock technical teams with Nadine Wiggins, Tim Albion, Kushan Foneska, Olivia Swann, Louise Lin and Monica Lovell, my key areas of priorities are strategy, governance, and toandindustry,engagementactivitiesbusinessrolewithexchangetoagreementtheobligationsaalsomytakeinvestmentgrowing(PHRN),Researchthefurtherandtoofrelations.internal/externalThegrowththeTDLUiskeyitssustainabilitythesecuringoffundingviaPopulationHealthNetworktogetherwithadditionalco-whichwillupalargepartofrole.Thepositionseesmemanagingvarietyofcontractualvaryingfromoverarchingfundingdeliverablesmaintainingdataagreementsdatacustodians.Myalsoincorporatesdevelopmentrequiringwithgovernment,otherorganisationsgrowtheTDLU.
In each Bulletin, we’re going to begin featuring some of our non-academic staff, as well as our researchers. We kick off with Mel Trebilcock, Manager of the Tasmanian Data Linkage Unit. Manager of the Tasmanian Data linkage unit New research from Menzies has found that the community event parkrun can be safe, fun and enjoyable for people with knee osteoarthritis. This pilot study is the first to investigate the feasibility of parkrun for people with a specific chronic disease. These results present an exciting opportunity to promote parkrun for people with knee osteoarthritis.
My details Title: Mr Mrs Miss Other AddressName Postcode Telephone ( ) EmailPlease send me information on remembering Menzies in my Will I have already included a gift to Menzies in my Will yes, i want to invest in a healthier future for all Tasmanians. 100% of your gift will be used for research in Tasmania. Gifts of $2 and over are tax deductible. or Please accept my one-off gift of: Other$250$100$50$25 $ Please accept my regular monthly gift of: Other$250$100$50$25 $ My gift My payment Please allocate my gift to: The current Menzies appeal Where most needed A specific area of research Cheque/money order: Enclosed is my cheque/money order (payable to the Menzies Institute for Medical Research) Credit card: Please debit my Visa MasterCard Credit card number Name on card Signature Expiry date/
Thank you for your support. Donate online You can donate online at Donatemenzies.utas.edu.au/donatebyphone You can donate over the phone by calling us on 1800 638 124 Menzies Institute for Medical Research University of Tasmania Reply Paid 77465 Hobart TAS 7000 Please post this slip to:
