Menzies Research Institute in conjunction with the Royal Hobart Hospital and University of Queensland will commence a world-first study that potentially will lead to a crucial new approach to managing high blood pressure (BP) in clinical practice, next month in Hobart.

Menzies Research Institute in conjunction with the Royal Hobart Hospital and University of Queensland will commence a world-first study that potentially will lead to a crucial new approach to managing high blood pressure (BP) in clinical practice, next month in Hobart.

New Menzies' senior research fellow, Dr James Sharman, who recently returned home to Tasmania, after eight years based at the University of Queensland, is chief investigator for the study.

Dr James Sharman saysThe National Institute of Clinical Studies in Australia has identified the current medical practice of managing high BP as being inadequate and in poor keeping with best available evidence.

"This study provides a potential foundation model for a new way to undertake management of high BP which greatly improves on the current situation," Dr Sharman said.

"High BP, also known as hypertension, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the most frequent problem managed by General Practitioners (GPs) in Australia."

"Clinicians have traditionally focused on upper arm BP for diagnosis and treatment decisions for over 100 years. However, there is strong evidence to suggest that this may not be the most effective approach today with the introduction of new technology."

"This study will be the first to test how effective this technology and new approach can be for guiding treatment in day-to-day patient care."

"The upper arm BP does not give us accurate information on the BP that the organs may be exposed to. This is known as central BP and, using new technology, we can now record this simply from the pressure pulse at the wrist. Importantly, large differences in central BP may occur between people with same, or similar, upper arm BP." 

"This difference may be critical to patient care because many studies have shown that central BP parameters predict cardiovascular disease and mortality independent of upper arm BP."

"This new research aims to bridge the gap between the current method of managing patients with high BP (focus on upper arm BP) and the theoretical improvement in the quality of patient care that may be achieved with the use of new technology and consideration of central BP."

"We will be working hand-in-hand with GPs across Tasmania with this new study," Dr Sharman said.

The participant-based study will be held at the Cardiology Department of the Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart. Study participants will be followed over the course of twelve months.

Anyone interested in registering to participate in the study should contact Martin Schultz, Menzies Research Institute on phone 03 6226 4729.

Funding bodies that supported the development of this study include UTAS, AtCor Medical and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

Released by:

Fiona Horwood
Communications Manager
Menzies Research Institute
Telephone:(03) 6226 7751

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