27/08/2015
USC exercise and cardiovascular research – opportunity for older adults
A team at the USC is carrying out vital research into "forgotten" cardiovascular conditions.
Assoc Prof Chris Askew, who leads the university's VasoActive research group, said the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the Sunshine Coast region was 22% - slightly higher than the national average.
The research group has launched a major study of patients suffering small abdominal aortic aneurysm - known as AAA - in an attempt to find out if exercise can help relieve it.
University of Sunshine Coast Associate Professor Chris Askew puts a participant through his paces as past of research into cardiovascular disease.
Dr Askew said AAA was the enlargement of the abdominal aorta and was most common in people over 60 years of age, particularly men.
"Many patients diagnosed with AAA have a fear that they are living with a ticking time bomb, so it's important that we investigate new treatment options," he said.
"There is a risk that an aneurysm can rupture and the outcomes of that can be devastating.
"The only recognised treatment of the condition is surgery, but operating early doesn't improve outcomes long term."
Post-doctoral Research Fellow Dr Tom Bailey will head the study, focusing on cardiovascular function and the circulating blood markers of AAA patients following acute exercise.
The teams hopes to recruit up to 25 AAA patients. All members of the study will be required to perform two 30-minute cycling sessions, followed by 90 minutes of recovery under lab supervision.
The study is part of a multi-centre trial with Prof Jon Golledge at James Cook University in Townsville, in collaboration with vascular surgery and cardiology staff at Nambour Hospital, as well as Sunshine Coast private surgeons.
