Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the primary health care issues in Louisiana and the Southeast region.  It is a leading cause of death and disability affecting over 50 million people in the United States and responsible for 200,000 deaths annually.  There is a strong link between hypertension and the kidneys because many forms of hypertension result from abnormalities in kidney function due either to primary or congenital renal disease or to abnormal hormonal or environmental influences that affect renal function leading to progressive renal and vascular injury.  Such diseases not only reduce the quality of life for individuals but also increase the costs of medical care.
 

Because hypertension and associated kidney & cardiovascular diseases are highly prevalent in Louisiana, Tulane Health Sciences Center established the Tulane Hypertension and Renal Center of Excellence, to centralize and coordinate research activities related to cardiovascular, kidney, and hypertension diseases.  The center houses a state-of-the-art Molecular, Imaging, and Analytical Core and the Mouse Phenotyping Core facilities.  The center is composed of faculty from multi-disciplinary fields that are specifically dedicated to investigative efforts, patient care, and public education in the crucial areas of hypertension and kidney diseases.  Emphasis is placed on translating basic science discoveries to the clinical arena.  The center provides unique research opportunities for emerging leaders in hypertension by establishing an enriched environment in which to develop investigators in both the clinical and basic hypertension research.
 

Other activities of the center include the sponsorship of local and regional meetings on Hypertension and public education programs to increase awareness of the dangers of hypertension.