publications

There are over 300 research articles published in medical journals using the Busselton data. Many of these can be accessed through PubMed using "Busselton" as a key word. A comprehensive list of research publications are also listed here.

Below are brief descriptions and summaries of recent scientific papers that have been published in medical journals and highlight the important discoveries being made using the Busselton data. Please follow the links to read the complete publication.

TSH and thyroid antibodies as predictors of hypothyroidism: a 13 year, longitudinal study of a
community-based cohort using current immunoassay techniques

Authors: John P Walsh, Alexandra P Bremner, Peter Feddema, Peter J Leedman, Suzanne J Brown, Peter O’Leary

Hypothyroidism (thyroid underactivity) is common, but there are few long term studies examining risk factors for its development. In this study, thyroid function tests were measured on stored blood samples from the 1981 and 1994-5 Busselton Health Surveys. The risk of developing hypothyroidism over this 13 year period was higher in survey participants who were female, those whose blood TSH levels were above
2.5 mU/L in 1981 and those with positive thyroid antibodies. The results will allow an estimate of the long term risk of hypothyroidism for any individual to be calculated using their gender, TSH and thyroid antibody results.

Risk factors for adult-onset asthma: A 14 -year longitudinal study

Authors: Euzebiusz Jamrozik, Matthew W. Knuiman, Alan L. James, Mark L. Divitini, Bill Musk

A study of of more than 1,500 Busselton adults who were followed up over a 14 year period has found that upper airway conditions including rhinitis and snoring predicted the onset of adulthood asthma. Adults with bronchitis, chest tightness, rhinitis or hayfever were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma by the end of the study period, and adults with reduced lung function were three times as likely to be newly diagnosed. New-onset habitual snoring was strongly linked with diagnosis and was more prevalent in overweight males and those who smoked. These findings agree with the ‘unified airway’ hypothesis, which links rhinitis and other upper airway disorders with the development of adult-onset asthma. Although adult onset-asthma and childhood asthma share common risk factors, factors that predict new diagnosis are very different. In contrast to children, atopy as measured by skin prick tests is not associated with adult-onset asthma. These findings indicate that GPs should target risk factors such as smoking, weight gain and sleep apnoea to optimise the recognition, prevention and treatment of adult-onset asthma.

Changes in the prevalence of asthma in adults since 1966: The Busselton Health Study

Authors: Alan L. James, Matthew W. Knuiman, Mark L. Divitini, Jennie Hui, Michael Hunter, Lyle Palmer, Graeme Maier, Bill Musk

A study into the prevalence of asthma in Busselton has found a steady increase in asthma in adults since the surveys first began. Of over 2700 adults who were surveyed in the 2005/07 survey it was found that 1 in 5 people (20%) have been told by their doctor that they have asthma. This is compared to only 6% of people in 1966 when the studies first began. This change has also been accompanied by a increase in the amount of people reporting wheeze or cough and phlegm, however bronchitis and shortness of breath have remained stable. At the same time lung function, particularly a measurement of the sensitivity of people's airways (a hallmark of asthma) has not changed. This suggests that doctors may be diagnosing asthma rather than bronchitis more often. Changes in the prevalence of allergy may also be involved in the increase of asthma, particularly among 18-54 year olds where there was a significant increase in the amount of people with a positive skin response to common household and environmental allergens. The study is important as it not only helps identify trends in health care practice and is useful for planning future health care for the community but will also contribute to the understanding of the basic nature of asthma that will help the development of improved treatment and prevention.

Serum alanine aminotransferase, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in an Australian population

Authors: John K. Olynyk, Matthew W. Knuiman, Mark L. Divitini, Timothy M.E. Davis, John Beilby, Joseph Hung

Elevations of a common liver blood test (alanine aminotransferase or ALT for short) are common and have been associated with a range of common medical problems comprising obesity, glucose intolerance, abnormal blood fat levels and high blood pressure which when present together are often termed the “Metabolic Syndrome”. Elevated ALT levels have also been linked to the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is assumed that resistance of the body to the effects of insulin underlies the link between ALT levels, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. In this study we wanted to examine if elevated ALT levels were associated with the metabolic syndrome or cardiovascular events in 3719 subjects who were studied over a 10 year period. We showed that the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 17% in men and 15% in women. ALT was significantly associated with the metabolic syndrome and each of its five components and this association was not completely accounted for by resistance of the body to insulin. After taking into account the effects of the metabolic syndrome, there was no positive association between ALT and cardiovascular disease events over the 10-year follow-up period. We have shown for the first time that there is a strong association between ALT and the metabolic syndrome independent of resistance of the body to insulin. The importance of this for clinicians is that blood ALT levels mediate their effects on cardiovascular disease through effects largely determined by the metabolic syndrome and its components rather than as an independent liver effect.

Recent Publications

TSH and thyroid antibodies as predictors of hypothyroidism: a 13 year, longitudinal study of a
community-based cohort using current immunoassay techniques

Risk factors for adult-onset asthma: A 14 -year longitudinal study

Changes in the prevalence of asthma in adults since 1966: The Busselton Health Study

Serum alanine aminotransferase, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in an Australian population

Is sleep apnea an independent risk factor for prevalent and incident diabetes in the Busselton Health Study

Recent Publications

TSH and thyroid antibodies as predictors of hypothyroidism: a 13 year, longitudinal study of a community-based cohort using current immunoassay techniques

Risk factors for adult-onset asthma: A 14 -year longitudinal study

Changes in the prevalence of asthma in adults since 1966: The Busselton Health Study

Serum alanine aminotransferase, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in an Australian population

Is sleep apnea an independent risk factor for prevalent and incident diabetes in the Busselton Health Study

TSH and thyroid antibodies as predictors of hypothyroidism: a 13 year, longitudinal study of a
community-based cohort using current immunoassay techniques