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Institute of Medical Sciences

Clinical and Translational Studies

Clinical and Translational Research in our Programme is concerned with patients who have certain bone-related conditions and diseases (eg OSTEOPOROSIS, OSTEOARTHRITIS, and RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (see boxes)). We are very grateful to our community-based control volunteers, who assist us in understanding how different factors affect bone and joint health in normal populations.

In addition to on-going pharmaceutical studies (Phase II & III drug trials) we currently have two strong research interests:

  • Imaging, which encompasses assessment of bone mineral density, body composition, joint shape (Active shape modelling: see http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ims/bone/research/imaging/ and http://www.abdn.ac.uk/orthopaedics/res_boneshape.shtml)
  • Diet (external funding since 2005 totals £1.8m), which encompasses the role of fruit and vegetables, vitamin D, whole diet patterns and timing in relation to bone health and other chronic conditions where there may be a common mechanism, (cardiovascular risk, metabolic syndrome, chronic low grade systemic inflammation, obesity, osteoarthritis) and gene-nutrient interactions.

We are also interested in Physical Activity and how this affects Musculoskeletal health, and factors associated with Falls and Balance that can lead to increased fracture risk.

OSTEOPOROSIS is a condition where bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, and there is an increased risk of fracture which occur in 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 years.(http://www.nos.org.uk/about.htm). Osteoporosis costs the NHS an estimated £1.7 billion per annum. Our research aims to better understand why bone becomes fragile and what can be done to prevent and treat bone loss.

OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) (http://www.arc.org.uk/arthinfo/default.asp) is a disease which affects joints in the body. The surface of the joint is damaged and the surrounding bone grows thicker. More than 6 million people in the UK have painful osteoarthritis in one or both knees. It affects 1 in 5 adults aged 50-59 years to almost 1 in every 2 adults aged 80 years and older. More than 650,000 in the UK have painful osteoarthritis in one or both hips. OA is the main reason for the 66,000 knee joint replacements and the similar number of hip joint replacements done a year in the UK. OA also affects the spine. Our research aims to better understand who is likely to get OA and what factors affect disease progression.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) (http://www.arc.org.uk/arthinfo/default.asp) is a disease in which the joints in the body become inflamed. There are around 400,000 adults in the UK with rheumatoid arthritis and it affects 3 times as many women as men. This condition is the main reason that 40% of working people with RA give up work.

Volunteer Population/Patient Studies

  • Aberdeen Prospective Osteoporosis Screening Study (APOSS)
  • North of Scotland Osteoporosis Study (NOSOS)
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis Genetic Study
  • Generation Scotland

Registered Trials

Where we are based: Clinical and Translational Research is mainly carried out in the Health Sciences Building at Foresterhill (https://www.abdn.ac.uk/crf/introduction.php). We have 2 dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners, including a new high image quality densitometer, iDXA and a unique state-of-the-art digital X-ray facility which is used for Radiosteriometric Analysis (RSA) in studies of fracture healing and total joint replacement. We also have a range of peripheral bone mineral density and quantitative ultrasound scanners, clinic rooms, laboratory space for processing of biological samples and office space for research staff.

Our funders: Our research is/has been funded by many sources including: Arthritis Research UK (formerly Arthritis Research Campaign), Food Standards Agency, Medical Research Council, Translational Medicine Research Institute Ltd, NHS Grampian Endowment Trust, Tenovus Scotland, Research into Ageing, National Osteoporosis Society and several pharmaceutical companies.

Staff involved in the Programme: Prof David Reid has overall responsibility for the clinical and translational work of the Musculoskeletal programme in the Health Sciences Building and has research interests in Imaging. He is Caldicott guardian of APOSS and NOSOS. Dr Helen Macdonald (senior lecturer) is deputy and leads the dietary research programme. Research staff include postdoctoral research fellows, lecturers, research nurses, radiographers and PhD students: Dr Rebecca Barr (L/PD), Mrs Lana Gibson (R), Dr Antonia Hardcastle (PD), Ms Fran Keech (RN), Claire Macdonald (Oliver Bird PhD Programme), Dr Alexandra Mavroeidi (L), Mrs Jenny Scott (R), Mrs Karen Secombes (RN), Dr Adrian Wood (PD), Dr Kanako Yoshida (Clinical PhD)

Sample bone scan

Selected peer-reviewed publications (see individual researchers' web pages for more publications):

  • Barr, RJ, Macdonald, HM, Stewart, A, McGuigan, F, Rogers, A, Eastell, R, Felsenberg, D, Glueer, C.C, Roux, C, Reid, DM Association between vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms, falls, balance and muscle power: results from two independent studies (APOSS and OPUS). 2010 Ost Int. 21, 457-466
  • Barr, RJ, Stewart, A, Adebajo, A, Fraser, W.D, Halsey, J.P, Kelsey, C, Reid, DM Can peripheral DXA measurements be used to predict fractures in elderly women living in the community? 2005 Ost. Int. 16, 1177-1183.
  • Barr, RJ, Stewart, A, Torgerson, D.J, Reid, DM Population screening for osteoporosis risk: A randomised control trial of medication use and fracture risk. 2010 Ost Int. 21, 561-568
  • Barr, RJ, Stewart, A, Torgerson, D.J, Seymour, D.G, Reid, DM Screening elderly women for risk of future fractures- participation rates and impact on incidence of falls and fractures. 2005 Calcif. Tissue Int. 76, 243-248.
  • Devereux G, Macdonald, HM, Hawrylowicz C: Vitamin D and asthma: time for intervention? Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2009;179:739-40.
  • Gannon RHT, D. Joe Millward J, Brown JE, Macdonald, HM, Lovell DP, Frassetto LA, Remer T and Lanham-New SA. Estimates of daily net endogenous acid production (NEAP) in the elderly UK population: analysis of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) of British adults aged 65 years and over. Br J Nutr 2008: 1-9.
  • Khan, F, Elherik, K, Bolton-Smith, C, Barr, R, Hill, A, Murrie, I, Belch, J. J. The effects of dietary fatty acid supplementation on endothelial function and vascular tone in healthy subjects. 2003 Cardiovasc. Res. 59; 955-962.
  • Macdonald, HM, Black AJ, Aucott L, Duthie G, Duthie S, Sandison R, Hardcastle, AC, Lanham New SA, Fraser WD, Reid, DM Effect of potassium citrate supplementation or increased fruit and vegetable intake on bone metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial Am J Clin Nutr 2008 88: 465-74.
  • Macdonald, HM, Hardcastle, AC, Duthie GG, Duthie S, Aucott L, Sandison R, Shearer, Reid, DM: Changes in vitamin biomarkers during a 2-year intervention trial involving increased fruit and vegetable consumption by free-living volunteers. Br J Nutr 2009; 102, 1477-1486.
  • Macdonald, HM, Hardcastle AC, Fraser WD: Meta-analysis of the quantity of calcium excretion associated with net acid excretion: caution advised. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:926-7; author reply 927.
  • Macdonald, HM, Mavroeidi A, Barr RJ, Black AJ, Fraser WD, Reid, DM. Vitamin D status in postmenopausal women living at higher latitudes in the UK in relation to bone health, overweight, sunlight exposure and dietary vitamin D. Bone 2008; 42:996-1003.
  • Macdonald, HM, McGuigan FE, Lanham-New SA, Fraser WD, Ralston SH, Reid, DM. Vitamin K1 intake is associated with higher bone mineral 1 density and reduced bone resorption in early postmenopausal Scottish women: no evidence of gene-nutrient interaction with Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphisms. Am J Clin Nutr 2008, 87: 1513-20.
  • Macdonald, HM, McGuigan FA, Stewart A, Black AJ, Fraser WD, Ralston SH, Reid, DM. Large-scale population based study shows no evidence of association between common polymorphisms of the VDR gene and BMD in British women. J Bone Miner Res 2006; 21:151-62.
  • Macdonald, HM: Alcohol and recommendations for bone health: should we still exercise caution? Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:999-1000.
  • Mavroeidi, A, O' Neill F, Lee PA, Darling AL, Fraser WD, Berry JL, Lee WT, Reid, DM, Lanham-New SA, Macdonald, HM Seasonal 25-hydroxy vitamin D changes in British postmenopausal women at 57ºN and 51ºN: a longitudinal study 2010 The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (in press)
  • Mavroeidi, A, Stewart A.D., Reid, DM, Macdonald, HM Physical activity and dietary calcium interactions on bone mass in Scottish postmenopausal women 2009 Ost Int 20(3): 409-16

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