Hipertensie in Afrika Navorsingspan (HART)
OVERVIEW
The Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART) is located within the School of Physiology, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences. HART consists of scientists who strive to perform cutting-edge research regarding the changes in vascular function that take place in those who develop hypertension and/or atherosclerosis.
RESEARCH
Physiology's research programmes in HART are planned according to cardiovascular risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in the South African population. HART focuses on epidemiology/community type research studies and clinical studies to investigate underlying mechanisms of vascular dysfunction.
Core competence and research expertise
Heard boasts the following research expertise:
- Expertise in the performance of various techniques of determining cardiovascular function, including 24 hour blood pressure monitoring; sonar measurements of the carotid artery in the neck, and application of various stressors when assessing vascular function.
- Expertise in determining related cardiovascular risk markers, including sonar measurements of subcutaneous and visceral fat, conducting questionnaires, and performing biochemical analyses for determining blood/urine/salivary levels of specific hormones or cytokines.
Current research programmes
Since the main focus of the group is vascular function, all research programmes therefore focus on aspects that might alter vascular function. The sub-programmes include the following:
• Hypertension in African adults and children
• Dietary interventions and the development of vascular dysfunction
• Interaction of psychological factors and sympathetic activity with vascular function
• The metabolic syndrome, i.e. cardiometabolic risk factors (vascular dysfunction, inflammation, obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia)
• HIV/AIDS and vascular dysfunction
Competitive advantage
In South Africa it is quite clear that HIV-infection and cardiovascular disease are burning areas, which requires specific and focussed research.
Hart concentrates on the functional and structural vascular changes taking place with the development of hypertension, as little clinical research has been done in this regard. The group is able to significantly contribute to this field by specifically studying the factors that impair the balance of vasomotor regulation such as biochemical factors, obesity, structural and functional changes in vascular function, the level of urbanisation, psychological stress and the effects of HIV-infection on vascular function.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
HART has an impressive range of state of the art equipment, which makes the group unique with regard to cardiovascular research in the South African environment. The equipment include two Finometer devices (for monitoring continuous blood pressure); ten Cardiotens ambulatory BP and 24 hour ECG devices (for measuring 24 hour blood pressure and ECG); a MicroMaxx SonoSite portable ultrasound device (for measuring carotid intima media thickness and subcutaneous and visceral fat); and a Complior SP apparatus (for measuring pulse wave velocity – the golden standard measure of arterial stiffness).
IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPERTISE
Non-profit activities related to core business
Community engagement
Due to the research focus, i.e. alleviating cardiovascular disease in South Africa, the team engages with the communities of various districts in all its research projects. These include the PURE project where 2000 participants from Ganyesa and Ikageng are visited and cardiovascular risk factors measured every year. Another current project, namely the SABPA study, includes 400 Caucasian and African teachers from the Potchefstroom district where direct feedback with regard to various measures are being provided.
Commercial activities related to core business
Alliances with private and public sectors
Due to the specific research field, personnel from HART communicate with various physicians and perform ambulatory blood pressure measurements for specific patients referred by their physicians. With regards to specific research projects, the team provides in-depth feedback regarding project outcomes to national, international or industry funding bodies.
Partnerships and collaborations
It is firstly important to collaborate with researchers from other disciplines within the University to perform multidisciplinary research. These include Nutrition, Anthropometry; Biochemistry and Psychology. The team also collaborates with scientists from outside the University, including national scientists from KwaZulu-Natal and international scientists from countries such as Greece; Germany, Belgium, Canada, UK, France and Luxembourg.
AWARDS AND HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS
The Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans (SABPA) project received the Metabolic Syndrome Institute (MSI) Scientific Committee Award in 2008. The project was chosen from 938 projects as one of three international project award winners in the fight against the metabolic syndrome. In addition, a member of staff was invited as an alumni-member to attend the BioVision meeting in Lyon, France.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Office of the Coordinator:
Prof Alta Schutte
E-mail: Alta.Schutte@nwu.ac.za
Tel: (018) 299 2444
Fax: (018) 299 2433
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