MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health
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MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health
UCL Institute of Child Health
30 Guilford Street
London, WC1N 1EH
Tel: +44 (0)20 7905 2362
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- Congenital disorders
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News
Measles Outbreak Highlights Importance of MMR Vaccine
Dr Helen Bedford was interviewed on the BBC news channel about the current measles outbreaks. More...
Published: Apr 26, 2013 2:30:00 PM
Response to 'HIV baby cure' headlines
Senior Lecturer at the Centre, Dr Pat Tookey, was interviewed on the BBC News Channel, and participated in a 3-way live radio discussion on Voice of Russia. More...
Published: Mar 21, 2013 1:02:43 PM
Researcher Starts MRC Fellowship
In January 2013 Anna Pearce commences an MRC Population Health Scientist fellowship. Her research will take a longitudinal and cross-national approach to gain a better understanding of why children from disadvantaged backgrounds experience poorer health than those from more advantaged backgrounds. Anna will spend the next three years researching this topic, including 12 months at the University of Adelaide. Findings will be used to inform UK and international policy for the reduction of child health inequalities. More...
Published: Jan 11, 2013 3:57:13 PM
Parents regaining confidence in MMR vaccine
The latest figures for uptake of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine show that 91% of two year old children in England have received the vaccine. This is the first time since 1998 that MMR vaccine rates have been higher than 90%. In 1998 a publication in the Lancet, which was widely interpreted as suggesting MMR vaccine was linked with autism and bowel disease, led to widespread media coverage and speculation about the safety of this vaccine. Many parents who were justifiably concerned, decided not to accept the vaccine for their children. Rates fell to a low of 78% overall but in many districts, particularly in inner London, rates were as low as 50%. We are continuing to see the results of this, with large outbreaks of measles once again in England. More...
Published: Nov 28, 2012 3:24:55 PM
Centre Director presents at international paediatrics conference
Centre Director, Catherine Law, gave the opening plenary lecture at the International Society of Social Paediatrics and Child Health’s conference in St Andrews on 6th September 2012. The theme for the conference was “evidence into practice and evidence into policy”. More...
Published: Sep 11, 2012 2:15:40 PM
Vitamin D and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (D-CarDia)
Vitamin D and the risk of cardiovascular disease (D-CarDia)
Low vitamin D intake has been suggested as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. If this is correct then some cases of cardiovascular disease could be potentially be prevented through vitamin D supplements or food fortification. However, the link between low vitamin D intake and cardiovascular diseases has been drawn through observational studies, where there are potentially a number of other factors that could influence what is observed.
D-CarDia is a large-scale collaboration of epidemiological studies, aiming to establish the causal role of vitamin D on cardiovascular disease and related traits using genetic proxy markers.
Principal investigator: Elina Hyppönen
Vitamin D and the risk of Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes and related traits (D-CarDia): a large-scale genetic association study
Low vitamin D intake has been suggested as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. If this is correct then some cases of cardiovascular disease could be potentially be prevented through vitamin D supplements or food fortification. However, the link between low vitamin D intake and cardiovascular diseases has been drawn through observational studies, where there are potentially a number of other factors that could influence what is observed.
D-CarDia is a large-scale collaboration of over 20 epidemiological studies from around the world. The collaboration aims to establish the causal role of vitamin D on cardiovascular disease and related traits using genetic proxy markers.
This is a British Heart Foundation funded project, also benefiting from support from the Medical Research Council (project grant G0601653) and the Academy of Finland.
Genetic association
D-CarDia is undertaking large-scale meta-analysis of studies which have information on vitamin D genetic variants and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In this study we will evaluate the associations with genetic markers of vitamin D metabolism to obtain further evidence for:
- a causal association with disease outcomes/intermediate phenotypes; and
- insights into mediating pathways.
This study will benefit from our ongoing work where we are identifying candidate variants through genomewide association analyses on 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
We invite studies which have information on relevant cardiovascular/diabetes-related phenotypes and genetic data to join D-CarDia.
Contact Dr Karani S. Vimaleswaran for further information.
Page last modified on 13 oct 11 17:05
