Vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a rare, but serious, syndrome characterised by thrombocytopenia, thrombosis, a markedly raised D-dimer and the presence of anti-platelet factor-4 (PF4) antibodies following COVID-19 adenovirus vector vaccination. VITT occurs at a rate of approximately 2 per 100 000 first-dose vaccinations and appears exceedingly rare following second doses. ...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis is effective in reducing VTE events; however, it is underutilized in critically ill patients. We examined trends and risk factors for omission of early thromboprophylaxis within the first 24 h after admission in Australian and New Zealand intensive care units (ICUs) between 2009 and 2020.Retrospective analysis of data from the Australian New Zealand Inte...

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a devastating disease, offering poor mortality rates for patients. The current challenge being faced is the inability to diagnose patients in a timely manner, where potentially curative resection provides the best chance of survival. Recently, small/nanosized extracellular vesicles (sEVs), including exosomes, have gained significant preclinical and clinical attention d...

Higher total fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes have been associated with lower perceived stress. However, the relationship of FV intake with domains of perceived stress is unclear. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between consumption of FV and four perceived stress domains (worries, tension, lack of joy and demands) in a population-based cohort of Australian ...

The number of people living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) is predicted to rise. Within this population, those also living with frailty are particularly vulnerable to poor outcomes, including decreased function. Increased physical activity, including exercise, has the potential to improve function in those living with both MLTCs and frailty but, to date, the focus has remained on ol...

A number of pathologic processes contribute to the elevation in cardiac filling pressures in heart failure (HF), including myocardial dysfunction and primary volume overload. In this review, we discuss the important role of the venous system and the concepts of stressed blood volume and unstressed blood volume. We review how regulation of venous tone modifies the distribution of blood between t...

The risk of adult onset cardiovascular and metabolic (cardiometabolic) disease accrues from early life. Infection is ubiquitous in infancy and induces inflammation, a key cardiometabolic risk factor, but the relationship between infection, inflammation, and metabolic profiles in early childhood remains unexplored. We investigated relationships between infection and plasma metabolomic and lipido...

Clinical practice guidelines recommend that adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) sit less and move more throughout the day. The 18-month OPTIMISE Your Health Clinical Trial was developed to support desk-based workers with T2D achieve these recommendations. The two-arm protocol consists of an intervention and control arms. The intervention arm receives 6 months health coaching, a sit-stand desktop ...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a potential cell-free regenerative medicine. Human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) are a viable source of cell therapy for diseases like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, little is known about the impact of gestational age of the donor on the quality of hAEC-derived EVs.To determine the impact of gestational age on hAEC-derived EVs in experimental BPD...

Dual antiplatelet therapy comprising of aspirin and oral P2Y receptor antagonists are an established cornerstone of therapy in acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous coronary intervention. As a result, the platelet P2Y receptor remains a key therapeutic target in cardiovascular medicine since pharmacological antagonists were first developed in the 1990's. With a greater understanding of plat...

To assess the prevalence and incidence of diabetes among Aboriginal peoples in remote communities of the Northern Territory (NT), Australia.Retrospective cohort analysis of linked clinical and administrative data sets from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2019.Remote health centres using the NT Government Primary Care Information System (51 out of a total of 84 remote health centres in the NT).All Aborig...

Lockdown restrictions reduce COVID-19 community transmission; however, they may pose challenges for noncommunicable disease management. A 112-day hard lockdown in Victoria, Australia (commencing March 23, 2020) coincided with an intervention trial of reducing and breaking up sitting time in desk workers with type 2 diabetes who were using a provided consumer-grade activity tracker (Fitbit).This...

Cardiac arrhythmias resulting in sudden cardiac death (SCD) are an important cause of racehorse fatalities. The objective of this study was to determine risk factors for SCD in Thoroughbreds by evaluating a sample with a policy of mandatory post-mortem following racing or training fatalities. Risk factors were compared between case horses with SCD ( = 57) and control horses with other fatal inj...

Undertreated risk factors are major contributors to the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Those with arthritis have an increased prevalence of CVD risk factors. CVD risk factors are often asymptomatic, which may be a barrier their treatment. Arthritis causes pain and immobility, and is a common reason for individuals to seek healthcare. Our aims were to (1) examine the relationship betwee...

Recent advances in protein structural modelling have enabled the accurate prediction of the holo 3D structures of almost any protein, however protein function is intrinsically linked to the interactions it makes. While a number of computational approaches have been proposed to explore potential biological interactions, they have been limited to specific interactions, and have not been readily a...

This study examined the effect of using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) routinely to assess and address depressive symptoms and diabetes distress among adults with type 2 diabetes.A systematic review of published peer-reviewed studies.Medline, Embase, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched.Studies including adul...

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is associated with lower cognitive function and diabetes in older adults, but little is known about whether diabetes status moderates the impact of TRAP on older adult cognitive function. We analysed cross-sectional data from 4141 adults who participated in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study in 2011-2012. TRAP exposure was estimat...

Hookworm infections cause a neglected tropical disease (NTD) affecting ~740 million people worldwide, principally those living in disadvantaged communities. Infections can cause high morbidity due to their impact on nutrient uptake and their need to feed on host blood, resulting in a loss of iron and protein, which can lead to severe anaemia and impaired cognitive development in children. Curre...

Preschool-aged children's physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) are important health-related behaviours likely influenced by PA opportunities, parental perceptions of neighbourhood safety and parenting practices pertaining to PA and ST. How these factors interact to impact on young children's PA and ST, and whether their effects are generalisable across cultures and geographical location ...