2019 IMPACT Philanthropy – Perpetual

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a potentially curable form of high blood pressure that most likely affects over half a million adults in Australia. However, fewer than 1000 people are diagnosed with PA. The Perpetual IMPACT Grant will support our research as the first in Australia to determine how many people suffer from this condition, and to find better markers of PA in immune cells.

The study will positively impact on patients, doctors and the health economy. Patients will be offered effective treatment of their hypertension and experience fewer strokes, heart attacks and arrythmias. Doctors will receive updated guidelines to better manage blood pressure. The cost of unnecessary drugs will decrease as patients are given targeted treatment or cure for their hypertension.

It is hoped that the study outcomes may lead to an overhaul of the Australian hypertension management guidelines, change the practice of family doctors and improve the life expectancy of countless Australians through the early detection of a silent killer.

Five year survival rates for ovarian cancer are less and 30 per cent, and for more than 90 per cent of women the disease reoccurs; ultimately manifesting in resistant disease. There are no existing strategies to monitor chemotherapy response or early relapse.

The Perpetual Impact Philanthropy grant will help Drs Bilandzic and Stephens to develop and validate a newly identified cell marker that could be used to measure response to treatment and predict early disease recurrence. Earlier intervention during relapse will enable better treatment, resulting in improved quality of life and higher rates of survival.