RPH Cardiometabolic & Hypertension Services includes multiple specialities (general physicians, cardiologists, nephrologists, endocrinologists) and engages in numerous industry and investigator-driven clinical and research projects with the goal of improving services for a range of diagnosed cardiometabolic diseases, including lipid disorders, hypertension, obesity and diabetes mellitus.

Research interests and focus 

We have a strong record of impactful outcomes of our research into cardiometabolic disorders. Our research has contributed to better diagnosis of patients (identification), risk stratification with state-of-the-art genetic, imaging and other clinical methodologies, and development and testing of new treatment approaches. Our current research areas of interest include:  

Lipid disorders

• Inherited disorders that affect the metabolism of fat (e.g. familial hypercholesterolaemia, lipodystrophy and severe chylomicronaemia), and their integrated care. 
• Tracer kinetic studies of lipid metabolism.
• Intervention studies of new lipid regulating therapy for patients at high-risk of cardiovascular condition.
• Clinical quality registries of patients with lipid disorders (e.g. familial hypercholesterolaemia, elevated lipoprotein(a) and hypertriglyceridemia).

Hypertension 

• The role of the sympathetic nervous system in hypertension and cardiometabolic / cardiorenal disease
• Obesity related hypertension
• Resistant hypertension
• Novel pharmacologic and interventional approaches to treat elevated blood pressure 

Example projects 

Gene silencing therapy for patients with elevated lipoprotein(a), refractory hypercholesterolaemia and mixed hyperlipidaemia. 
CPI: Professor Gerald F Watts (EMHS)