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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience high burden of cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic conditions, often manifesting in multimorbidity and contributing to over one third of life expectancy differentials. This article explores cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health within an Aboriginal cohort by documenting the burden of early risk, disease and factors associated with disease progression.
There remains a glaring disparity between the health of an Australian Aboriginal child when compared with that of a non-Aboriginal Australian child. In recent years, studies have advocated for the adoption of culturally sensitive health care provision if significant improvements are to be made in the health of Australian Aboriginal children.
Due to the ongoing impact of colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live with a greater burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than non-Indigenous Australians. Shared decision-making (SDM) is recognised as an essential component of person-centred care. However, there has been a lack of tools to support clinician communication and SDM to address CVD prevention in this important 'at-risk' population.
Indigenous Australians have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and premature cardiovascular disease. Subpopulations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk, but HDL composition, size, or function have not been studied in Indigenous Australians.
Researchers have developed the first National Healthy Skin Guideline to address record rates of skin infections in Australia’s Indigenous communities.
Chris Deborah Tamara Brennan-Jones Lehmann Veselinovic PhD AO, MBBS, MSc BSc(Hons) MClinAud PhD Head, Ear and Hearing Health Honorary Emeritus Fellow
First Nations children hospitalised with acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) are at increased risk of future bronchiectasis (up to 15-19%) within 24-months post-hospitalisation. An identified predictive factor is persistent wet cough a month after hospitalisation and this is likely related to protracted bacterial bronchitis which can progress to bronchiectasis, if untreated.
Among Aboriginal children, the burden of acute respiratory tract infections (ALRIs) with consequent bronchiectasis post-hospitalisation is high. Clinical practice guidelines recommend medical follow-up one-month following discharge, which provides an opportunity to screen and manage persistent symptoms and may prevent bronchiectasis.
Currently, there are few robustly evaluated social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) measures available for use with Aboriginal youth in research, policy, and practice.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a preventable, lifelong disability that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the available information on FASD among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with reference to the limitations on population-based data and evaluated programs.