Japanese Society of Hypertension (JSH) has announced the winners of the 10th Hypertension Research Award at the 42nd Annual Scientific Meeting held on October 25 to 27, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. This award was established in 2010 to recognize significant contributions of researchers to the advancement of researches in hypertension and related studies. Among the first or main authors of the articles published in Hypertension Research, official journal of JSH, from April 2018 (Vol. 41, No. 4) to March 2019 (Vol. 42, No. 3) the journal’s editorial committee members selected following winners.

Hypertension Research Award of Excellence

Dr Daisuke Watabe, Department of Pharmacy, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

For contribution of ‘Predictive power of home blood pressure indices at baseline and during follow-up in hypertensive patients: HOMED-BP study.’ Vol. 41, No. 8, pp 622–628.

https://rdcu.be/bV9En

In this study, the authors analyzed the relations of home blood pressure indices to the incidence of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients followed in the HOMED-BP (Hypertension Objective Treatment Based on Measurement by Electrical Devices of Blood Pressure) study. The addition of mean blood pressure during follow-up improved the prediction model of cardiovascular events.

Hypertension Research Award

Dr Masanobu Yamazato, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nephrology and Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.

For contribution of ‘Intracerebroventricular administration of bone marrow-derived cells attenuates angiotensin II-initiated neurogenic hypertension in rats’ Vol. 41, No. 10, pp 828–838.

https://rdcu.be/bV9Ey

This animal study demonstrated that the intracerebroventricular injection of cultured bone marrow-derived cells attenuated the development of hypertension in rats continuously infused angiotensin II as well as inhibited the expressions of angiotensin II type 1 receptor and transforming growth factor beta in the brain.

Hypertension Research Award

Dr Mitsuhiro Nishimoto, Division of Clinical Epigenetics, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

For contribution of ‘Stromal interaction molecule 1 modulates blood pressure via NO production in vascular endothelial cells.’ Vol. 41, No. 7, pp 506–514.

https://rdcu.be/bV9EA

In this basic research, the authors created the conditional knock-out mice of stromal interaction molecule 1, which is involved in the store-operated calcium entry and NO production by eNOS in the vascular endothelial cells. It was demonstrated that STIM1 plays significant roles not only in the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation but also in the control of nighttime blood pressure.