Resistant Hypertension: Causes, Consequences, And Novel Therapeutic Approaches
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$713,517.00
Summary
Two thirds of all strokes and half of all coronary artery disease world-wide can be attributed to uncontrolled blood pressure. Patients with resistant hypertension are at specifically high risk. While the exact reasons remain obscure, work from my group suggests that sympathetic nervous system activation represents a common pathway. Based on these findings the ultimate goal of my research program is to develop novel and more effective treatment strategies for resistant hypertension.
Opposite poles of blood pressure disorders will be tested. The first is low blood pressure disorders causing blackouts while standing. My hypothesis is that the mechanism is subnormal reflex sympathetic nervous system responses (the sympathetic nervous system is the stimulant division of the automatic branch of the nervous system(. The second focus is patients with severe high blood pressure, with high sympathetic activity, who I will treat with a device silencing the nerves of the kidneys.
Role Of The Medial Amygdala In Developing Neurogenic Hypertension
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$302,123.00
Summary
We aim to investigate the underlying mechanisms and pathways that regulate the activity of neurons located in the medial amgydala during stress that contribute long term to the development of hypertension. This study is highly relevant to people who inappropriately respond to typical daily stressors and we aim to provide direction for developing specific therapies to interrupt the adverse cardiovascular consequences of chronic stress.
Stress Hyperglycaemia And Mortality In Critical Illness: Defining The Association And Underlying Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,526.00
Summary
The relationship between high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia) and mortality in critically ill patients remains an area of controversy with conflicting results between studies. This PhD thesis will attempt to resolve this by firstly evaluating whether relative hyperglycaemia as measured using a novel new measure better predicts mortality outcome in such patients; and secondly, attempt to establish possible mechanisms which contributes to this.
Mechanisms And Consequences Of Renal Denervation In Chronic Kidney Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,289,105.00
Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects ~10-12% of the adult population and is associated with increased mortality. Activation of sympathetic nerves plays an important role in this scenario. We have pioneered a novel catheter-based approach using radiofrequency-energy to disrupt these nerves and we now aim to assess the mechanisms and consequences of applying this novel technology in patients with chronic kidney disease.
Elucidating The Pathophysiological Mechanisms Leading To The Development Of Hypertension Late After Repair Of Coarctation Of The Aorta: The Key To Decreasing Premature Death From Hypertension After Arch Repair
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$48,791.00
Summary
Coarctation of the aorta is a condition where there is a narrowing in the aorta (main blood vessel from the heart supplying blood to the body) and usually requires surgery early in life. Many may develop late hypertension (high blood pressure) after surgery, which is linked to early death. This research aims to establish the causes of this hypertension to ultimately determine how to best treat and prevent it to allow survivors of a coarctation repair a chance to live a full and healthy life.
Heart failure is a severely debilitating condition with a poor prognosis. It is characterized by retention of fluid and high nervous activity especially to the kidneys and the heart. Even with the best current treatment available, patients with heart failure still suffer from abnormally high nerve activity to the further detriment of this condition. The successful completion of this project will provide considerable insight into the role of the brain in the elevated nerve activity in heart failu ....Heart failure is a severely debilitating condition with a poor prognosis. It is characterized by retention of fluid and high nervous activity especially to the kidneys and the heart. Even with the best current treatment available, patients with heart failure still suffer from abnormally high nerve activity to the further detriment of this condition. The successful completion of this project will provide considerable insight into the role of the brain in the elevated nerve activity in heart failure. It will also provide us with a significant understanding of the role in reflex sympathetic nerve regulation of an important brain region known as the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Our findings will help us understand the nature of the neurotransmitters contributing to the reflex nerve regulation and the specific neurons within the PVN involved. This knowledge could help us to identify novel potential therapeutic targets within the brain to alleviate the problems observed in heart failure.Read moreRead less
Which Neurons Maintain Sympathetic Vasomotor Tone?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,918.00
Summary
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, a major burden of disease worldwide. High levels of nerve activity that cause the blood vessels to constrict elevating blood pressure are characteristic of hypertension. We do not know which brain cells set and maintain this nerve activity. We will identify these cells, determine how they function and what regulates them. Ultimately we could control these cells treating the cause of hypertension or when clinical need arises.
PACAP: The Mechanism Underlying Sleep Apnoea-induced Hypertension
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$505,117.00
Summary
10% of Australians suffer from sleep apnoea; a cause of high blood pressure. Untreated, high blood pressure causes heart failure, kidney failure and stroke. A major cause of high blood pressure is an increased amount of nerve activity that controls the heart and blood vessels. In this proposal we will investigate how a brain chemical, called PACAP, affects nerve activity and blood pressure in a model of sleep apnoea. This information may lead to new and better treatments for high blood pressure.