Nicole Li - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Nicole Li

Research paper thumbnail of Is Acupuncture Efficacious for Treating Phonotraumatic Vocal Pathologies? A Randomized Control Trial

Journal of Voice, 2015

To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. A ... more To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. A total of 123 dysphonic individuals with benign vocal pathologies were recruited. They were given either genuine acupuncture (n = 40), sham acupuncture (n = 44), or no treatment (n = 39) for 6 weeks (two 30-minute sessions/wk). The genuine acupuncture group received needles puncturing nine voice-related acupoints for 30 minutes, two times a week for 6 weeks, whereas the sham acupuncture group received blunted needles stimulating the skin surface of the nine acupoints for the same frequency and duration. The no-treatment group did not receive any intervention but attended just the assessment sessions. One-hundred seventeen subjects completed the study (genuine acupuncture = 40; sham acupuncture = 43; and no treatment = 34), but only 84 of them had a complete set of vocal functions and quality of life measures (genuine acupuncture = 29; sham acupuncture = 33; and no-treatment = 22) and 42 of them with a complete set of endoscopic data (genuine acupuncture = 16; sham acupuncture = 15; and no treatment = 11). Significant improvement in vocal function, as indicated by the maximum fundamental frequency produced, and also perceived quality of life, were found in both the genuine and sham acupuncture groups, but not in the no-treatment group. Structural (morphological) improvements were, however, only noticed in the genuine acupuncture group, which demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the vocal fold lesions. The findings showed that acupuncture of voice-related acupoints could bring about improvement in vocal function and healing of vocal fold lesions.

Research paper thumbnail of Wound-healing effect of acupuncture for treating phonotraumatic vocal pathologies: A cytokine study

The Laryngoscope, Jan 30, 2015

Acupuncture is a less-invasive procedure when compared with surgical treatment for benign vocal p... more Acupuncture is a less-invasive procedure when compared with surgical treatment for benign vocal pathologies caused by vocal overuse. This study aimed to determine the wound-healing effect of acupuncture in treating phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. Two-way, mixed-model, between- and within-subjects, prospective randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded group design. Seventeen dysphonic individuals with vocal nodules were recruited from a university clinic in Hong Kong. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive one session of either genuine or sham acupuncture. The genuine acupuncture group (n = 9) received needles puncturing nine voice-related acupoints for 30 minutes, whereas the sham acupuncture group (n = 8) received blunted needles stimulating the skin surface of the nine acupoints for the same frequency and duration. Laryngeal secretions were suctioned from the surface of the vocal folds immediately before, immediately after, and 24 hours after the acupuncture. The prote...

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer awareness and self-reported behaviours related to salt consumption in Australia

Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Divisio... more Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to reduce population salt intake. A consumer survey was commissioned to quantify baseline aspects of awareness and behaviour related to salt and health amongst Australians. A total of 1084 individuals aged 14 years or over were surveyed by ACA Research using an established consumer panel. Participants were selected to include people of each sex, within different age bands, from major metropolitan and other areas of all Australian states and territories. Participants were invited via email to complete a brief questionnaire online. Two-thirds knew that salt was bad for health but only 14% knew the recommended maximum daily intake. Seventy percent correctly identified that most dietary salt comes from processed foods but only a quarter regularly checked food labels for salt content. Even fewer reported their food purchases wer...

Research paper thumbnail of The development of a national salt reduction strategy for Australia

Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. Nati... more Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. National and international bodies recommend a significant reduction in population salt intakes on the basis of strong evidence for health gains that population salt reduction strategies could achieve. The Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) coordinates the Drop the Salt! campaign in Australia. This aims to reduce the average amount of salt consumed by Australians to six grams per day over five years through three main implementation strategies targeting the food industry, the media and government. This strategy has the potential to achieve a rapid and significant reduction in dietary salt consumption in Australia. With industry and government engagement, this promises to be a highly effective, low cost option for preventing chronic disease.

Research paper thumbnail of A systematic review of the prevalence of nutrition labels and completeness of nutrient declarations on pre-packaged foods in China

Journal of public health (Oxford, England), Jan 21, 2014

The Chinese government launched a voluntary nutrition labelling code in 2007 and made it mandator... more The Chinese government launched a voluntary nutrition labelling code in 2007 and made it mandatory since 1 January 2013. This article aims to quantify the prevalence of nutrition labels and the completeness of nutrient declarations on pre-packaged foods in China and to explore the impact of the 2007 code. A systematic search of the published and grey literature was done, and a random-effects meta-analysis was used to obtain summary estimates. There were 15 surveys identified from 13 reports. For 44% (95% confidence interval: 37-51%) of the 22 636 food items, the product label provided information on one or more nutrients. There was significant heterogeneity between the surveys (I(2) = 99%, P < 0.001) raising some uncertainty about the reliability of the estimate. The heterogeneity was in part explained by differences in labelling between food categories (P < 0.001) but not by changes in the prevalence of nutrition labels over time (P = 0.36). Most pre-packaged foods in this su...

Research paper thumbnail of Study of mandible bone mineral density of Chinese adults by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery, 2011

The objective of this study was to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of mandible and study t... more The objective of this study was to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of mandible and study the correlation between the BMD of the mandible and the lumbar vertebrae. 224 healthy volunteers were recruited in China and divided into 6 age groups: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and over 70 years. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and the mandible of each volunteer. The BMD of mandibular chin, mandibular angle and the lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) was 1.3013±0.2576 g/cm(2), 1.0484±0.1087 g/cm(2) and 1.1195±0.1373 g/cm(2), respectively. The BMD of mandibular angle and lumbar vertebrae decreased significantly beyond the age of 50 years. There was a significant difference between males and females in the BMD of the mandibular angle and lumbar vertebrae in the 50-59, 60-69 and over 70 year age groups. The authors found that the BMD of mandibular angles correlates with that of lumbar vertebrae. This study suggests that measurement of...

Research paper thumbnail of The development of a national salt reduction strategy for Australia

Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 2009

Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. Nati... more Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. National and international bodies recommend a significant reduction in population salt intakes on the basis of strong evidence for health gains that population salt reduction strategies could achieve. The Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) coordinates the Drop the Salt! campaign in Australia. This aims to reduce the average amount of salt consumed by Australians to six grams per day over five years through three main implementation strategies targeting the food industry, the media and government. This strategy has the potential to achieve a rapid and significant reduction in dietary salt consumption in Australia. With industry and government engagement, this promises to be a highly effective, low cost option for preventing chronic disease.

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer awareness and self-reported behaviours related to salt consumption in Australia

Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 2010

Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Divisio... more Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to reduce population salt intake. A consumer survey was commissioned to quantify baseline aspects of awareness and behaviour related to salt and health amongst Australians. A total of 1084 individuals aged 14 years or over were surveyed by ACA Research using an established consumer panel. Participants were selected to include people of each sex, within different age bands, from major metropolitan and other areas of all Australian states and territories. Participants were invited via email to complete a brief questionnaire online. Two-thirds knew that salt was bad for health but only 14% knew the recommended maximum daily intake. Seventy percent correctly identified that most dietary salt comes from processed foods but only a quarter regularly checked food labels for salt content. Even fewer reported their food purchases wer...

Research paper thumbnail of Translational systems biology of inflammation and healing

Wound Repair and Regeneration, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Biosimulation of acute phonotrauma: An extended model

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of a reduced-sodium, high-potassium salt substitute on food taste and acceptability in rural northern China

British Journal of Nutrition, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Vocal Exercise May Attenuate Acute Vocal Fold Inflammation

Research paper thumbnail of Possible Cross-Cultural Differences in the Perception of Impact of Voice Disorders

Research paper thumbnail of Action on salt and health: An evidence-based advocacy approach to make salt reduction a national priority in China

International Journal of Cardiology, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Do men and women respond differently to blood pressure-lowering treatment? Results of prospectively designed overviews of randomized trials

European Heart Journal, 2008

Large-scale observational studies show that lower blood pressure is associated with lower cardiov... more Large-scale observational studies show that lower blood pressure is associated with lower cardiovascular risk in both men and women although some studies have suggested that different outcomes between the sexes may reflect different responses to blood pressure-lowering treatment. The aims of these overview analyses were to quantify the effects of blood pressure-lowering treatment in each sex and to determine if there are important differences in the proportional benefits of treatment between men and women. Thirty-one randomized trials that included 103,268 men and 87,349 women contributed to these analyses. For each outcome and each comparison summary estimates of effect and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for men and women using a random-effects model. The consistency of the effects of each treatment regimen across the sexes was examined using chi(2) tests of homogeneity. Achieved blood pressure reductions were comparable for men and women in every comparison made. For the primary outcome of total major cardiovascular events there was no evidence that men and women obtained different levels of protection from blood pressure lowering or that regimens based on angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, calcium antagonists, angiotensin receptor blockers, or diuretics/beta-blockers were more effective in one sex than the other (all P-homogeneity &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 0.08). All of the blood pressure-lowering regimens studied here provided broadly similar protection against major cardiovascular events in men and women. Differences in cardiovascular risks between sexes are unlikely to reflect differences in response to blood pressure-lowering treatments.

Research paper thumbnail of International collaborative project to compare and track the nutritional composition of fast foods

BMC Public Health, 2012

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of premature death and disability in the world with over-n... more Chronic diseases are the leading cause of premature death and disability in the world with over-nutrition a primary cause of diet-related ill health. Excess quantities of energy, saturated fat, sugar and salt derived from fast foods contribute importantly to this disease burden. Our objective is to collate and compare nutrient composition data for fast foods as a means of supporting improvements in product formulation. Surveys of fast foods will be done in each participating country each year. Information on the nutrient composition for each product will be sought either through direct chemical analysis, from fast food companies, in-store materials or from company websites. Foods will be categorized into major groups for the primary analyses which will compare mean levels of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, energy and serving size at baseline and over time. Countries currently involved include Australia, New Zealand, France, UK, USA, India, Spain, China and Canada, with more anticipated to follow. This collaborative approach to the collation and sharing of data will enable low-cost tracking of fast food composition around the world. This project represents a significant step forward in the objective and transparent monitoring of industry and government commitments to improve the quality of fast foods.

Research paper thumbnail of Monitoring salt reduction in processed foods in Australia

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer awareness and behaviour related to salt consumption in Australia: more needs to be done

Research paper thumbnail of Microstructural and mechanical characterization of kaolin DD3 after addition of dolomite (5-20% weight)

Annales de chimie Science des Matériaux, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Incidence and relevance of proteinuria in bevacizumab-treated patients: pooled analysis from randomized controlled trials

American journal of nephrology, 2014

This analysis evaluated the incidence of and risk factors for bevacizumab-related proteinuria and... more This analysis evaluated the incidence of and risk factors for bevacizumab-related proteinuria and assessed for any associated clinical sequelae, including renal function changes. Patient-level adverse event and laboratory data from a pooled safety database were used to characterize alterations in urine protein excretion following interventional therapy ± bevacizumab in 17 randomized trials across multiple tumor types. Severity of renal function change was assessed using changes in serum creatinine concentration from baseline values. Potential predictors of proteinuria and the association between proteinuria and other adverse events were also investigated. Among 14,548 patients, the incidence of any-grade proteinuria was 8.2% (733/8,917) and 4.6% (257/5,631) in the bevacizumab and control groups, respectively; rates of grade ≥3 proteinuria were 1.4 and 0.2%. Post-baseline proteinuria grade and bevacizumab were associated with increased rates of renal dysfunction. Patients developing ...

Research paper thumbnail of Is Acupuncture Efficacious for Treating Phonotraumatic Vocal Pathologies? A Randomized Control Trial

Journal of Voice, 2015

To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. A ... more To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. A total of 123 dysphonic individuals with benign vocal pathologies were recruited. They were given either genuine acupuncture (n = 40), sham acupuncture (n = 44), or no treatment (n = 39) for 6 weeks (two 30-minute sessions/wk). The genuine acupuncture group received needles puncturing nine voice-related acupoints for 30 minutes, two times a week for 6 weeks, whereas the sham acupuncture group received blunted needles stimulating the skin surface of the nine acupoints for the same frequency and duration. The no-treatment group did not receive any intervention but attended just the assessment sessions. One-hundred seventeen subjects completed the study (genuine acupuncture = 40; sham acupuncture = 43; and no treatment = 34), but only 84 of them had a complete set of vocal functions and quality of life measures (genuine acupuncture = 29; sham acupuncture = 33; and no-treatment = 22) and 42 of them with a complete set of endoscopic data (genuine acupuncture = 16; sham acupuncture = 15; and no treatment = 11). Significant improvement in vocal function, as indicated by the maximum fundamental frequency produced, and also perceived quality of life, were found in both the genuine and sham acupuncture groups, but not in the no-treatment group. Structural (morphological) improvements were, however, only noticed in the genuine acupuncture group, which demonstrated a significant reduction in the size of the vocal fold lesions. The findings showed that acupuncture of voice-related acupoints could bring about improvement in vocal function and healing of vocal fold lesions.

Research paper thumbnail of Wound-healing effect of acupuncture for treating phonotraumatic vocal pathologies: A cytokine study

The Laryngoscope, Jan 30, 2015

Acupuncture is a less-invasive procedure when compared with surgical treatment for benign vocal p... more Acupuncture is a less-invasive procedure when compared with surgical treatment for benign vocal pathologies caused by vocal overuse. This study aimed to determine the wound-healing effect of acupuncture in treating phonotraumatic vocal fold lesions. Two-way, mixed-model, between- and within-subjects, prospective randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded group design. Seventeen dysphonic individuals with vocal nodules were recruited from a university clinic in Hong Kong. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive one session of either genuine or sham acupuncture. The genuine acupuncture group (n = 9) received needles puncturing nine voice-related acupoints for 30 minutes, whereas the sham acupuncture group (n = 8) received blunted needles stimulating the skin surface of the nine acupoints for the same frequency and duration. Laryngeal secretions were suctioned from the surface of the vocal folds immediately before, immediately after, and 24 hours after the acupuncture. The prote...

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer awareness and self-reported behaviours related to salt consumption in Australia

Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Divisio... more Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to reduce population salt intake. A consumer survey was commissioned to quantify baseline aspects of awareness and behaviour related to salt and health amongst Australians. A total of 1084 individuals aged 14 years or over were surveyed by ACA Research using an established consumer panel. Participants were selected to include people of each sex, within different age bands, from major metropolitan and other areas of all Australian states and territories. Participants were invited via email to complete a brief questionnaire online. Two-thirds knew that salt was bad for health but only 14% knew the recommended maximum daily intake. Seventy percent correctly identified that most dietary salt comes from processed foods but only a quarter regularly checked food labels for salt content. Even fewer reported their food purchases wer...

Research paper thumbnail of The development of a national salt reduction strategy for Australia

Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. Nati... more Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. National and international bodies recommend a significant reduction in population salt intakes on the basis of strong evidence for health gains that population salt reduction strategies could achieve. The Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) coordinates the Drop the Salt! campaign in Australia. This aims to reduce the average amount of salt consumed by Australians to six grams per day over five years through three main implementation strategies targeting the food industry, the media and government. This strategy has the potential to achieve a rapid and significant reduction in dietary salt consumption in Australia. With industry and government engagement, this promises to be a highly effective, low cost option for preventing chronic disease.

Research paper thumbnail of A systematic review of the prevalence of nutrition labels and completeness of nutrient declarations on pre-packaged foods in China

Journal of public health (Oxford, England), Jan 21, 2014

The Chinese government launched a voluntary nutrition labelling code in 2007 and made it mandator... more The Chinese government launched a voluntary nutrition labelling code in 2007 and made it mandatory since 1 January 2013. This article aims to quantify the prevalence of nutrition labels and the completeness of nutrient declarations on pre-packaged foods in China and to explore the impact of the 2007 code. A systematic search of the published and grey literature was done, and a random-effects meta-analysis was used to obtain summary estimates. There were 15 surveys identified from 13 reports. For 44% (95% confidence interval: 37-51%) of the 22 636 food items, the product label provided information on one or more nutrients. There was significant heterogeneity between the surveys (I(2) = 99%, P < 0.001) raising some uncertainty about the reliability of the estimate. The heterogeneity was in part explained by differences in labelling between food categories (P < 0.001) but not by changes in the prevalence of nutrition labels over time (P = 0.36). Most pre-packaged foods in this su...

Research paper thumbnail of Study of mandible bone mineral density of Chinese adults by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery, 2011

The objective of this study was to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of mandible and study t... more The objective of this study was to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of mandible and study the correlation between the BMD of the mandible and the lumbar vertebrae. 224 healthy volunteers were recruited in China and divided into 6 age groups: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and over 70 years. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and the mandible of each volunteer. The BMD of mandibular chin, mandibular angle and the lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) was 1.3013±0.2576 g/cm(2), 1.0484±0.1087 g/cm(2) and 1.1195±0.1373 g/cm(2), respectively. The BMD of mandibular angle and lumbar vertebrae decreased significantly beyond the age of 50 years. There was a significant difference between males and females in the BMD of the mandibular angle and lumbar vertebrae in the 50-59, 60-69 and over 70 year age groups. The authors found that the BMD of mandibular angles correlates with that of lumbar vertebrae. This study suggests that measurement of...

Research paper thumbnail of The development of a national salt reduction strategy for Australia

Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 2009

Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. Nati... more Excess dietary salt is a well established cause of high blood pressure and vascular disease. National and international bodies recommend a significant reduction in population salt intakes on the basis of strong evidence for health gains that population salt reduction strategies could achieve. The Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) coordinates the Drop the Salt! campaign in Australia. This aims to reduce the average amount of salt consumed by Australians to six grams per day over five years through three main implementation strategies targeting the food industry, the media and government. This strategy has the potential to achieve a rapid and significant reduction in dietary salt consumption in Australia. With industry and government engagement, this promises to be a highly effective, low cost option for preventing chronic disease.

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer awareness and self-reported behaviours related to salt consumption in Australia

Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 2010

Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Divisio... more Australians are eating far more salt than is good for health. In May 2007, the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to reduce population salt intake. A consumer survey was commissioned to quantify baseline aspects of awareness and behaviour related to salt and health amongst Australians. A total of 1084 individuals aged 14 years or over were surveyed by ACA Research using an established consumer panel. Participants were selected to include people of each sex, within different age bands, from major metropolitan and other areas of all Australian states and territories. Participants were invited via email to complete a brief questionnaire online. Two-thirds knew that salt was bad for health but only 14% knew the recommended maximum daily intake. Seventy percent correctly identified that most dietary salt comes from processed foods but only a quarter regularly checked food labels for salt content. Even fewer reported their food purchases wer...

Research paper thumbnail of Translational systems biology of inflammation and healing

Wound Repair and Regeneration, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Biosimulation of acute phonotrauma: An extended model

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of a reduced-sodium, high-potassium salt substitute on food taste and acceptability in rural northern China

British Journal of Nutrition, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Vocal Exercise May Attenuate Acute Vocal Fold Inflammation

Research paper thumbnail of Possible Cross-Cultural Differences in the Perception of Impact of Voice Disorders

Research paper thumbnail of Action on salt and health: An evidence-based advocacy approach to make salt reduction a national priority in China

International Journal of Cardiology, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Do men and women respond differently to blood pressure-lowering treatment? Results of prospectively designed overviews of randomized trials

European Heart Journal, 2008

Large-scale observational studies show that lower blood pressure is associated with lower cardiov... more Large-scale observational studies show that lower blood pressure is associated with lower cardiovascular risk in both men and women although some studies have suggested that different outcomes between the sexes may reflect different responses to blood pressure-lowering treatment. The aims of these overview analyses were to quantify the effects of blood pressure-lowering treatment in each sex and to determine if there are important differences in the proportional benefits of treatment between men and women. Thirty-one randomized trials that included 103,268 men and 87,349 women contributed to these analyses. For each outcome and each comparison summary estimates of effect and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for men and women using a random-effects model. The consistency of the effects of each treatment regimen across the sexes was examined using chi(2) tests of homogeneity. Achieved blood pressure reductions were comparable for men and women in every comparison made. For the primary outcome of total major cardiovascular events there was no evidence that men and women obtained different levels of protection from blood pressure lowering or that regimens based on angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, calcium antagonists, angiotensin receptor blockers, or diuretics/beta-blockers were more effective in one sex than the other (all P-homogeneity &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; 0.08). All of the blood pressure-lowering regimens studied here provided broadly similar protection against major cardiovascular events in men and women. Differences in cardiovascular risks between sexes are unlikely to reflect differences in response to blood pressure-lowering treatments.

Research paper thumbnail of International collaborative project to compare and track the nutritional composition of fast foods

BMC Public Health, 2012

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of premature death and disability in the world with over-n... more Chronic diseases are the leading cause of premature death and disability in the world with over-nutrition a primary cause of diet-related ill health. Excess quantities of energy, saturated fat, sugar and salt derived from fast foods contribute importantly to this disease burden. Our objective is to collate and compare nutrient composition data for fast foods as a means of supporting improvements in product formulation. Surveys of fast foods will be done in each participating country each year. Information on the nutrient composition for each product will be sought either through direct chemical analysis, from fast food companies, in-store materials or from company websites. Foods will be categorized into major groups for the primary analyses which will compare mean levels of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, energy and serving size at baseline and over time. Countries currently involved include Australia, New Zealand, France, UK, USA, India, Spain, China and Canada, with more anticipated to follow. This collaborative approach to the collation and sharing of data will enable low-cost tracking of fast food composition around the world. This project represents a significant step forward in the objective and transparent monitoring of industry and government commitments to improve the quality of fast foods.

Research paper thumbnail of Monitoring salt reduction in processed foods in Australia

Research paper thumbnail of Consumer awareness and behaviour related to salt consumption in Australia: more needs to be done

Research paper thumbnail of Microstructural and mechanical characterization of kaolin DD3 after addition of dolomite (5-20% weight)

Annales de chimie Science des Matériaux, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Incidence and relevance of proteinuria in bevacizumab-treated patients: pooled analysis from randomized controlled trials

American journal of nephrology, 2014

This analysis evaluated the incidence of and risk factors for bevacizumab-related proteinuria and... more This analysis evaluated the incidence of and risk factors for bevacizumab-related proteinuria and assessed for any associated clinical sequelae, including renal function changes. Patient-level adverse event and laboratory data from a pooled safety database were used to characterize alterations in urine protein excretion following interventional therapy ± bevacizumab in 17 randomized trials across multiple tumor types. Severity of renal function change was assessed using changes in serum creatinine concentration from baseline values. Potential predictors of proteinuria and the association between proteinuria and other adverse events were also investigated. Among 14,548 patients, the incidence of any-grade proteinuria was 8.2% (733/8,917) and 4.6% (257/5,631) in the bevacizumab and control groups, respectively; rates of grade ≥3 proteinuria were 1.4 and 0.2%. Post-baseline proteinuria grade and bevacizumab were associated with increased rates of renal dysfunction. Patients developing ...