The 4th Pillar in treatment of CKD

31st May 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

CKD

Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors have been the cornerstone treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) for many years now. They have been shown to protect kidneys and at the same time reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Finerenone was recently shown to do the same. These three agents are now the guideline-directed three pillars in the treatment of CKD.…

Paediatric ultrasound – developmental hip dysplasia

12th May 2024, NIA Diagnostic Imaging

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) stands out as one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders manifesting in neonates and infants (Charlton et al., 2017). Owing to the dynamic potential for hip remodelling, hip dysplasia at birth may either resolve spontaneously or progress as the child grows (Loh & Wollett, 2021). DDH encompasses a spectrum of hip conditions, including abnormal acetabular development and hip dislocation causing disruption to the typical alignment of the femoral head and acetabulum as a stable ball-and-socket joint (Landes, 2011).…

Colchicine to reduce CVD – is it prime time yet?

12th May 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

ASCVD

We are used to using colchicine for acute treatment of gout but colchicine has also proven itself a key pharmacotherapy in the treatment of cardiovascular conditions such as pericardial disease (1), post-operative atrial fibrillation (2) and coronary artery disease (3). Colchicine disrupts the inflammatory response in acute gout but the inflammatory pathways that colchicine acts on are also found in other inflammatory diseases including coronary artery disease.…

Omega-3 supplements in pregnancy for leaner kids?

11th May 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

Omega-3 supplements?

I recall reading somewhere that increasing fish intake during pregnancy results in leaner offsprings. It all makes sense as we know that ω-3 fatty acid (ω-3 FA) is beneficial for adults (also read somewhere). It must be good for babies then. Is there data on those claims? Well, sort of. We shall look into them.…

Which risk factors in T2D increase infection risk?

27th April 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

glucose variability

We know that suboptimal HbA1c increases the risk of micro and macrovascular complications in people with diabetes. We also know that suboptimal HbA1c increases infection risks in these people. There is increasing evidence that glucose variability is a potent predictor of complications. There are two ways to look at glucose variability – day to day variation as seen on continuous glucose monitoring and variability in HbA1c measured over years.…

NIA Diagnostic Imaging – Improved diagnosis for life

13th April 2024, NIA Diagnostic Imaging

At NIA Diagnostic Imaging, we are proudly the only Medical Imaging Provider in Southwest Sydney that has continued to Bulk-Bill ALL Medicare eligible examinations including:
• ALL Obstetric Ultrasounds
• ALL Interventional Procedures performed under Ultrasound or CT guidance
• Biopsy, FNA, Aspiration, Hook Wire Localisation, Pain Management Injections

At NIA Diagnostic Imaging we always aim to prioritise the health of our patients and are compassionate and diligent in our delivery of premium care.…

Lipid lowering in T2D – what happens if you don’t treat to guidelines?

28th March 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

We all know that high LDL-C is absolutely and adversely associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. It’s been “proven” again and again in large clinical trials and meta-analyses after meta-analyses. Reducing lipids levels have also been shown to reduce cardiovascular (CV) events in secondary as well as in primary prevention. This is particularly the case in those with intermediate to high CV risks.…

Young T2D – do they get more cancers?

28th March 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

Young T2D

We all know that when type 2 diabetes (T2D) presents at a younger age, they tend to be more aggressive in its progression as well as in the complications it causes. The complications also emerge earlier as well more aggressive. There are more cardiovascular events, more renal events and now, increasingly recognised, more liver complications.…

Lean body mass loss – can we prevent it?

7th March 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

Total body weight loss

There was some kerfuffle recently in the lay press about muscle loss with semaglutide. Great horror? Well, it doesn’t matter how you lose the weight. Any significant body weight loss will incur lean body mass loss (LBM). It’s not unique to GLP1-RA injections. Weight loss from bariatric surgery, dietary restrictions or just healthier eating will do the same.…

BP control – a novel way to address medication adherence?

24th February 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

BP Control

We all know how important it is for BP control in prevention cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal complications. We are also aware of the difficulty is improving medication adherence. We have a broad range of effective BP lowering medications covering diverse classes of medications. Anti-hypertensives work only if our patients take them regularly.…

Patients with high lipoprotein a – should they be on aspirin?

24th February 2024, A/Prof Chee L Khoo

Primary CVD prevention

In May 2022, the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that we avoid routine aspirin for primary prevention of CVD for anyone at all (1). In particular, for those between 40–59-year-old with a 10-year CVD risk 10%, the decision to initiate aspirin for the primary prevention should be an individual one as the evidence of the net benefit of aspirin use in this group is small.…