Diagnosing curable hypertension

Associate Professor Robin Hobbs

Associate Professor Jun Yang and her team are changing the way GPs think about hypertension (high blood pressure), and saving lives in the process. Her research established that in one in 10 cases, hypertension is caused by a hormonal condition called primary aldosteronism (PA), which means standard treatments are ineffective. The next step was a pilot project encouraging GPs to screen for PA, with results showing far more affected patients than expected. Head of the Endocrine Hypertension Research group and Consultant Endocrinologist at Monash Health, A/Prof Yang has been awarded two large MRFF grants, including a clinical trials grant of $2.29 million over four years to roll out a screening program in GP clinics, with collaborators in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Further research also identified that existing testing methods for PA need careful analysis – and sometimes even multiple tests – to be accurate. She is now educating clinics and hospitals about PA and helping prepare them for the expected increase in diagnoses of this previously underreported condition.

Collaborators Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute ; Barwon Health; Monash University; University of Queensland; University of Western Australia

Funders Heart Foundation; NHMRC; Rebecca Cooper Foundation

Professor