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 Dr.Suzanne
Oparil is Professor of Medicine，Physiology，and Biophysics and
Director of the Vascular Biology and Hypertension Program in the
Division of Cardiovascular Disease at The University of Alabama at
Birmingham. Dr.Oparilisan active investigator in the laboratory，as
well as in the clinical setting and directs a large basic and
clinical research group in vascular biology and hypertension.She has
an extensive bibliography in clinical cardiology and
hypertension，including over 550 journal articles，books，and book
chapters.She has made many seminal contributions to hypertension
research，including the first description of angiotensin-converting
enzyme（ACE）activity in the lung，definition of the role of the
central nervous system in salt sensitivity of blood pressure，and
assessment of thecontribution of the intracardiac renin-angiotensin
system in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. Dr.Oparil has
been extremely active nationally in a number of major
organizations.She served as President of the American Federation of
Clinical Research，the largest（13，000members）clinical research
organization in the world.She had previously served as Chairman of
the Public Policy Committee of that organization，where she
formulated science policy positions that affect biomedical research
at the national level.Dr.Oparil is also a member of the American
Society of Clinical Investigation，having served as its
Secretary-Treasurer for three years，of the Association of American
Physicians，and of the prestigious Institute of Medicine（IOM）of the
National Academy of Sciences. Dr.Oparil is an active volunteer in
the American Heart Association at both the national and affiliate
levels.She is a Past President of that organization.Dr.Oparil has
also held important advisory positions with the National Institutes
of Health（NIH），including membership on a number of task
forces，advisory committees，and peer review committees.Her numerous
honors include the Young Investigator Award of the International
Society of Hypertension，the Annual Award of the National Board of
the Medical College of Pennsylvania，the Lewis K. Dahl Memorial
Lecture of the American Heart Association，the Founder’s Award of the
Southern Society for Clinical Investigation，and the UAB President’s
Achievement Award.She is listed in Who’s Who in America and was
recognized by The Medical Herald as one of The Nation’s Top 20 Women
in Health Leaders.She is past President of the American Society of
Hypertension.Dr.Oparil’s clinical expertise in hypertension and her
outstanding basic research accomplishments have made her one of
the leading M.D.-investigators in cardiovascular medicine today. |
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The 6th Chinese
Annual Meeting of Vascular Disease and Arterial Function &The 4rd
Asian-Pacific Congress of International Society of Vascular Health
have been held in Beijing,in June 26-28,2009.During the conference
we had the privilege to interview Professor Suzanne Oparil, the
following is the interview： |
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Reporter：What
is the status of hypertension in the United States? |
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Prof. Suzanne
Oparil：Because of the
aging, U.S. population and more than half of Americans are
overweight and obesity, high blood pressure becomes more common and
more difficult to treat.Aging and the increase in overweight and
obesity has also led to increase cardiovascular risk.These groups
not only have high blood pressure, but also have high cholesterol,
and obesity has also brought a number of inflammatory cytokines and
vascular disease, so the problem of high blood pressure has become
even greater. |
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Reporter：What is the status of vascular disease? |
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Prof. Suzanne
Oparil：Vascular
diseases are very common. Although we have reduced the mortality of
cardiovascular disease and stroke,the incidence of congestive heart
failure is rising. Congestive heart failure, commonly manifested as
breathing difficulties and a big heart, is one of the main
complications of hypertension.Thus, it is a challenge, now become
more common in the elderly,especially in older women. |
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Reporter：How about the impact of vascular biology in prevention and
treatment of vascular disease? |
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Prof. Suzanne
Oparil：I think
that the biology of blood vessels is very important, in this meeting
, Professor Roland Asmar,come from Paris, talked about arterial
stiffness problem.Increasing with age, especially those with high
blood pressure and diabetes, arteriosclerosis will occur, arterial
structure and function will change.Studies have shown that arterial
stiffness related to prognosis, such as heart attack and stroke.We
believe that the antihypertensive drugs,even lipid-lowering drug
therapy, can improve arterial stiffness, atherosclerosis can be
prevented from happening.But all these require further study,may be
necessary in a doctor's consulting room for more applications,or
doctors should be measuring the ankle-brachial index (ABI)in
clinic,ankle-brachial index can reflect the upper and lower limb
blood pressure situation, everyone should be measured.Heart doctors
may also be another indicator to measure pulse wave
velocity(PWV).This is a new field, not only increase our risk of
cardiovascular evaluation of the patient's cardiovascular capacity,
but also to evaluate whether the treatment was successful. |
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Reporter：What is the angiotensin, how about the impact of
angiotensin on blood pressure? |
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Prof. Suzanne
Oparil：Angiotensin
is a polypeptide, which is a small protein, there are eight amino
acid residues,it has multiple roles.First of all,can make blood
vessels contract, this role can lead to high blood pressure.Second,
it can promote the oxidation potential of what we call, is a kind of
pro-oxidants, through a number of enzymes play a role, such as NADPH
oxidase, which oxidized cholesterol causing
atherosclerosis.Angiotensin not only affect blood pressure, but also
on the role of vascular disease, affecting atherosclerosis in the
vascular stiffness.Angiotensin also affect the kidneys, beneficial
to sodium and water retention, promoting the improvement of liquid
capacity, the promotion of high blood pressure.In short, through a
variety of mechanisms,angiotensin damage blood vessels, heart,
brain,kidney and peripheral arteries. |
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Reporter：How about vascular disease detection in the United
States,What is the status? |
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Prof. Suzanne Oparil：So far, the evaluation method of vascular function are
still in the research stage.There are a variety of evaluation
methods, such as the ankle-brachial index(ABI), pulse wave
velocity(PWV) measurement method is simple,there are methods and
apparatus may be an indirect assessment of central aortic blood
pressure,More difficult approach is to examine hip fat tissue biopsy
arteries can be directly observed arteries, measurement functions
and structures to observe whether the arterial lumen
stenosis.Although there are many methods of evaluation, but we need
more evidence to explore which method is more suitable for use in
doctor's offices, which method is more complex and less useful.So
this is a very active research field. |
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Reporter：To protect vascular health,what time should prevention of
vascular disease begin? |
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Prof.
Suzanne Oparil：When
you have a child should begin to consider the child's health
problems.It is very important to ensure that your child is very
active, playing outside, when they are able to participate in sports
activities as far as possible to participate in and can not see a
lot of television and computer.Maintain a good diet also is very
important.I found that even in Asia, there are many children who are
fat, this is not a good phenomenon.Epidemiological studies have
shown that sedentary obese children have higher risks.So, this
should be a life-long efforts and the efforts of the entire family,
including parents and grandparents.I have found that grandparents
caring for children in China.Therefore, grandparents should be
educated not to give the children too much food, should make the
child strong, physical activity,healthy diet, do not start
smoking.All these are very important. |
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Reporter：Please talk about the feelings of this meeting? |
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Prof.
Suzanne Oparil：I
think this is a very good meeting.I have seen a lot of young doctors
of the participants were impressed, because young doctors on behalf
of the future.Their access to new ideas, can bring to their
patients.I found a very interesting and different from the
phenomenon of the United States, China has a lot of things for the
hospitals and health officials, participants and speakers to listen
to experts.I think this is very important, because in addition to
medical experts, the government's participation is also very
important and should be keep to stop smoking, make people more
participation in sports, improve diet, promote healthy ideas.I know
that Chinese people are very clever, always willing to make changes,
if these changes are beneficial to them,tell them of these changes,
such as stop smoking, less drinking and good food will have on its
health benefits. |
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(2009.6.27) |
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