Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr Witham graduated from Oxford University and worked in a number of hospitals in the south of England and Australia before discovering the delights of Scotland. He undertook his PhD in Dundee running a randomised controlled trial of exercise training for older chronic heart failure patients, before taking up post as Clinical Lecturer in Ageing and Health in 2003.
In October 2007, he commenced an NES / CSO Clinician Scientist award, with a duration of 5 years; he completed clinical training in geriatrics and general medicine in late 2009 before taking up post as Clinical Senior Lecturer in Ageing and Health, becoming Clinical Reader in Ageing and Health in July 2013.
Dr Witham works as an honorary consultant geriatrician with NHS Tayside, undertaking community geriatrics work, general older people’s outpatients and helps to run the Dundee Memory Clinic service. He is a member of the Health Services and Population research Committee (Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Government) and contributes to the Scottish polypharmacy guideline working group.
Research
Pleiotropic interventions to improve the health of older people:
Multimorbidity is the norm in older people, but most interventions are tested in younger people without comorbid disease, who take few other medications. Conducting trials in typical frail older people is therefore critical if we are to build the evidence base we need to treat older people, and this forms a major focus of work in our department. Recent trials have included extensive work on the cardiovascular effects of vitamin D in different populations, the effects of exercise training in older heart failure patients, interventions for muscle weakness in older people, and a large, ongoing trial of bicarbonate for older patients with advanced CKD.
Finding interventions with multiple beneficial effects in older people (e.g. on cardiovascular disease, bone health, sarcopenia) is a key goal – such interventions could circumvent the hazard and inconvenience of polypharmacy –i.e. having to take multiple medications for each illness an older person has. By using routinely collected health, functional and social care data, we aim to find potential candidate interventions that might provide overall benefit to the health and function of older people, and use this observational data as a platform for future trials.
Teaching
Dr Witham runs the third year Ageing and Health teaching and examining, and contributes to administering, marking and examining fourth year undergraduate geriatric medicine teaching. He also contributes to medical postgraduate and nursing staff teaching, and runs the Tayside StR Research training course for higher specialist medical trainee doctors. He is an associate member of the Higher Education Academy.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, An RCT of exercise training for older heart failure patients
Award Date: 1 Jan 2005
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Oxford
Award Date: 1 Jan 1995
Bachelor of Arts, Physiological Sciences, University of Oxford
Award Date: 1 Jan 1992
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Network
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How Does Medication Use Affect Levels of Physical Activity in Older People?
Clarke, C. & Witham, M.
1/03/16 → 28/02/17
Project: Research
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EFFECT OF LEUCINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, MUSCLE MASS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN OLDER PEOPLE WITH SARCOPENIA
Witham, M., Adamson, S., Avenell, A., Band, M., Donnan, P., George, J., Hapca, A., Hume, C., Kemp, P. R., McKenzie, E., Pilvinyte, K., Smith, K., Struthers, A. & Sumukadas, D., 8 Mar 2022, In: Age and Ageing. 51, 1, p. i5-i7 2 p., 667.Research output: Contribution to journal › Meeting abstract › peer-review
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EFFECT OF PERINDOPRIL ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, MUSCLE MASS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN OLDER PEOPLE WITH SARCOPENIA: RESULTS
Witham, M., Adamson, S., Avenell, A., Band, M., Donnan, P., George, J., Hapca, A., Hume, C., Kemp, P. R., McKenzie, E., Pilvinyte, K., Smith, K., Struthers, A. & Sumukadas, D., 8 Mar 2022, In: Age and Ageing. 51, 1, 2 p., 666.Research output: Contribution to journal › Meeting abstract › peer-review
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Effect of Perindopril or Leucine on physical performance in older people with sarcopenia: the LACE randomized controlled trial
Achison, M., Adamson, S., Akpan, A., Aspray, T., Avenell, A., Band, M. M., Bashir, T., Burton, L. A., Cvoro, V., Donnan, P. T., Duncan, G. W., George, J., Gordon, A. L., Gregson, C. L., Hapca, A., Henderson, E., Hume, C., Jackson, T. A., Kemp, P., Kerr, S., & 18 others , 4 Apr 2022, In: Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. 13, 2, p. 858-871 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Citations (Scopus)27 Downloads (Pure) -
Increasing physical activity levels in care homes for older people: a quantitative scoping review of intervention studies to guide future research
Wylie, G., Kroll, T., Witham, M. D. & Morris, J., 10 Sep 2022, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Disability and Rehabilitation. 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile16 Downloads (Pure) -
A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effect of Allopurinol on Left Ventricular Mass Index in Hemodialysis Patients
Rutherford, E., Ireland, S., Mangion, K., Stewart, G. A., MacGregor, M. S., Roditi, G., Woodward, R., Gandy, S. J., Houston, J. G., Jardine, A. G., Rauchhaus, P., Witham, M., Mark, P. B. & Struthers, A. D., 1 Jan 2021, In: Kidney International Reports. 6, 1, p. 146-155 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Citations (Scopus)33 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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Heart Failure Society of America 2014
Miles D. Witham (Invited speaker)
14 Sep 2014Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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RCPE International Geriatric Medicine Course
Miles D. Witham (Member of programme committee)
26 May 2014 → 30 May 2014Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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European Renal Association conference
Miles D. Witham (Invited speaker)
31 May 2014Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (Journal)
Miles D. Witham (Editor)
2014Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial activity
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Scottish Society of Physicians
Miles D. Witham (Invited speaker)
19 Sep 2014Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference