Our department conducts research to improve health, focusing on conditions
related to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, osteoporosis,
exercise, aging, women's health, and health-risk behavior. The projects
that are listed below represent just a sample of the many research studies
and multicenter clinical trials that have involved our faculty and staff:
| • Action for Health
in Diabetes (Look AHEAD)--a multicenter trial examining the
effects of intentional weight loss in obese type 2 diabetic people.
|
| • Activity Counseling
Trial (ACT)--a study examining the effectiveness of a primary-care,
practice-based exercise intervention on physical fitness in sedentary
adults. |
| • Calcium, Health
and Metabolism in Preteens Study (CHAMPS)--a study to determine
if calcium supplementation has a benefit on the growing bones of children
aged 8 to 13. |
| • Contraceptive Hormones
and Risk Markers (CHARM)--a clinical trial investigating
hormonal contraceptives and cardiovascular risk in premenopausal women. |
| • Fitness, Arthritis,
and Seniors Trials (FAST)--a randomized clinical trial comparing
aerobic exercise and resistance exercise with a health-educational
program in older adults who have knee osteoarthritis. |
| • Fracture Intervention
Trial (FIT)--a clinical trial testing whether an investigational
medication (not a hormone) would prevent osteoporotic bone loss, increase
the amount of healthy bone, and prevent fractures in postmenopausal
women. |
| • Health, Aging,
and Body Composition Study (Health ABC)--a study of the interrelationships
between changes in body composition, incident and chronic health events,
and incident functional limitation in a cohort of 3,075 older adults
residing in the Memphis and Pittsburgh areas. |
| • Health Opportunities
for Physical Exercise (HOPE)--a randomized clinical trial
targeting exercise behavior change in overweight urbanites who live
in underserved areas. |
| • Heart
and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS)--a multicenter,
randomized clinical trial investigating whether postmenopausal hormone
therapy can prevent recurrence of heart disease in women. |
| • Magnesium and Osteoporosis
Study (MOST)--a research study to determine if a daily magnesium
supplement will prevent the bone loss that occurs as people get older. |
| • Osteoporosis and
Sodium Intake Study (OASIS)--a research study to determine
effects of various levels of salt intake on bone mineral density in
postmenopausal women. |
| • Providers and Alzheimer’s
Caregivers Together (PACT)--a three-year home care intervention
study seeking to decrease Alzheimer’s disease caregivers’
depression, anxiety and burden by providing home-based interventions.
|
| • Research
on Nicotine Effects in Expectant Women (RENEW)--a clinical
trial investigating the efficacy of the nicotine patch in pregnant
women smokers. |
| • Resources for Enhancing
Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH II)--a three-year,
multisite, national study, a continuation of an earlier UT Alzheimer
caregiver study (REACH I), designed to improve the well-being of the
Alzheimer caregiver. |
| • Sibutramine Use
in Cigarette Cessation: Effects on Smoking Study (SUCCESS)--a
study to assess whether a combination of a weight-loss medicine and
a smoking cessation program may help smokers to quit smoking without
gaining weight. |
| • Smoking cessation
Therapy for Adults Ready to quit (STAR)--study to assess
the effects of sustained release bupropion and nicotine replacement
therapy in helping smokers stop smoking. |
| • Sports, Physical
Activity, and Recreation for Kids: Pre-K (SPARK Pre-K)--also
known as the Early Childhood Physical Activity Project: SPARK Pre-K
study, which focuses on promoting developmentally appropriate health-related
physical activity in preschool children. The study includes the development
and implementation of an early childhood physical activity curriculum
to be used in the Title I Early Childhood Education of the Memphis
City Schools. |
| • Study of Effects
of Nicotine Patch Compared to Placebo--a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled clinical trial to study the effects of the 21 mg
nicotine patch compared to placebo patch on blood glucose and insulin
levels in premenopausal women smokers. |
| • Systolic Hypertension
in the Elderly Program (SHEP)--a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial investigating the efficacy
of antihypertensive drug treatment in preventing strokes in older
people with isolated systolic hypertension. |
| • Tennessee Opportunity
Programs--research using administrative claims data to examine
HIV and AIDS care in Tennessee. |
| • Trial of Nonpharmacologic
Therapy for Hypertension in the Elderly (TONE)--a multicenter,
randomized clinical investigation of nonpharmacologic treatment of
high blood pressure in older adults aged 60 to 80. |
| • Women’s Health
Initiative (WHI)--a multicenter, randomized clinical trial
and observational study of postmenopausal women's health in relation
to hormone replacement, low-fat diet, or calcium/vitamin D supplementation.
|
| • Women's Health
Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS)--a multicenter, randomized
clinical trial examining the effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy
on the development of dementia. |
Research