High blood pressure is commonly associated with age, diet, exercise and smoking. However, sometimes a hormonal imbalance is to blame. In these cases, diagnosis is more difficult and the health risks are greater, so Dr. Gregory Hundemer hopes to develop better and more personalized approaches. He wants to see whether it would be cost-effective to screen everyone with high blood pressure for hyperaldosteronism, the overproduction of the hormone aldosterone which affects approximately one in five of people with medication-resistant hypertension. People with this condition are at higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Some research suggests that the standard treatment for this hormone condition, called mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist therapy, may not work as well as previously thought. Dr. Hundemer also plans to investigate new biomarkers that can better show whether the treatment is working.
Dr. Hundemer was recently appointed as an associate scientist in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He is a staff nephrologist at The Ottawa Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa.
“I’d like to see a more personalized approach to treating people with high blood pressure by tailoring treatments to their specific conditions,” said Dr. Hundemer.
Research at The Ottawa Hospital led by scientists like Dr. Hundemer is possible because of generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.
University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca
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Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
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ambuchanan@ohri.ca
