Hypertension & Vascular Research Center

Clinical Mission:

The HVRC faculty continue to focus on validation and implementation of non-invasive procedures for hemodynamic and vascular assessments.  New diagnostic tests for autonomic function are available as billable clinical procedures alone or with tilt table testing for improved data acquisition and analysis of orthostatic intolerance.

Our goals are:

• To educate and treat the public about the severity of unchecked and uncontrolled hypertension, peripheral artery disease and disturbances in autonomic nervous system function;
• To provide the highest possible quality of patient care to those persons diagnosed with hypertension and vascular disease;
• To offer continuing education opportunities to physicians and other health care providers;
• To foster effective community outreach programs to promote wellness and public awareness about this prevalent health problem; and,
• To conduct intensive clinical research into the physiological mechanisms and clinical causes and consequences of hypertension and vascular diseases.
  
  The following are the special areas of clinical expertise and interests in hypertension and vascular disease at our Center:

• Diagnosis and comprehensive medical therapy of hypertension with particular emphasis on the importance of the kidney in blood pressure control.
• Diagnosis and clinical management of disorders of neural control of the circulation.
• Diagnosis and comprehensive medical therapy of diseases of the arteries and veins.
• Premature (occurring in the young) atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
• Multidisciplinary approach to the management of cardiovascular risk factors, i.e. hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol/lipids, high lipoprotein (a)/homosysteine, diet, salt, and exercise.
• Clotting (hyper-coagulation) disorders: their diagnosis and management.
• Development and implementation of new non-invasive methods for detection of early disorders of control of blood pressure and indices of target organ damage, including in the heart, kidney and peripheral arteries.
  
  As a part of our Center we coordinate:          
• Non-invasive evaluation of early structural and functional arterial changes in our state-of-the-art hypertension diagnostic laboratory
• Kidney function evaluation
• Appropriate ancillary consultation
• Appropriate special laboratory evaluations by our Hypertension Assay Core Facility (biochemistry), lipid factors, and special coagulation labs
• 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
• Non-invasive autonomic nervous system function analysis

The Hypertension and Vascular Disease Center is a major referral center
for cardiovascular disease.

To Schedule an Appointment: or For further information: Patient Scheduling Coordinator, 336-716-9623