Primary aldosteronism research recognised

Two researchers at the forefront of Hudson Institute’s work on primary aldosteronism (PA) have been recognised for their efforts to increase understanding and treatment of the condition.

PA , also known as Conn syndrome, is the most common form of endocrine hypertension, affecting five to 10 per cent of people with high blood pressure, but it often remains undiagnosed.

Thanks largely to the efforts of Associate Professor Jun Yang and Dr Renata Libianto, PA is increasingly being recognised and tested for by General Practitioners, with hospitals also improving their ability to treat the condition.

Top-10 most cited papers

Now, the Medical Journal of Australia has named a publication from Hudson Institute’s Centre for Endocrinology and Metabolism (CEM) as one of its top 10 most-cited papers, noting that the achievement highlights the impact of the published work within the community. The publication was featured in this story GPs take a second look at at primary aldosteronism and high blood pressure.

The citation data was derived from Clarivate Analytics between 1 January, 2022 and 31 December, 2023.

Dr Libianto is the lead author of the publication, with the work forming a large part of the PhD thesis which she completed last year.

The paper studied the prevalence of PA in new hypertension diagnoses in Australian primary healthcare, and the results indicated a potential role for general practitioners in the early detection of this form of secondary hypertension for which specific therapies are available.

The study was overseen by Associate Professor Yang and Professor Peter Fuller, Dr Jimmy Shen and research nurse Ms Peta Nuttall are co-authors.

In 2016 A/Prof Yang established the first dedicated Endocrine Hypertension Service in Victoria, integrating medical research findings into clinical practice.

Advancing primary aldosteronism knowledge

A/Prof Yang also received a significant honour, being appointed to the Clinical Council of Hypertension Australia (HA) for a term of two years.

Previously known as The High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia, HA has been at the forefront of advancing knowledge into the causes, prevention and treatment of high blood pressure since its inception in 1979.

The transition to HA recognised the expanding scope of the organisation’s activities beyond research into advocacy, implementation, education and community engagement.

The Clinical Council of HA deals with the clinical aspects of the focus areas, ranging from educational activities, contributions to guidelines and position papers, endorsements, and industry relations of clinical relevance.

The Council also interacts with other committees to deal with planning of scientific meetings, communications and advocacy, support of early career researchers, and issues pertaining to women and hypertension, as well as paediatrics.

She is looking to use this platform to increase the primary aldosteronism content of educational materials and to have the condition better recognised in clinical guidelines.

*Source: Primary Aldosteronism Foundation