November 2024
The Power To Do
Groundbreaking Hypertension Research
Targeting the Gut to Treat High Blood Pressure
Even with dozens of medications available, many of the more than 1.2 billion people worldwide with hypertension struggle to get their blood pressure under control. Scientists at The University of Toledo are uncovering new methods for treating hypertension by looking at the chronic condition in an entirely new way.
Led by physiologist Bina Joe, Ph.D., who published the first academic paper detailing the link between gut bacteria and blood pressure regulation, UToledo researchers are performing cutting-edge studies of how microbes in our gut contribute to elevated blood pressure — and how we may be able to leverage that connection to reset the ecosystem within us and create new avenues for lowering blood pressure.
In her latest project, which is supported by a nearly $4 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Joe, a Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, is investigating how bacteria-driven changes to bile acids in the gut affect blood pressure.
Pioneering Science
A trailblazing researcher in the field of hypertension, Bina Joe, Ph.D., has significantly advanced our understanding of the role gut bacteria play in the development of high blood pressure. In 2015, she was the first to publish a scientific paper detailing the link between gut microbiota and hypertension. That paper helped to launch a new line of study which has exploded in recent years. Her achievements were recently recognized with the prestigious Excellence in Hypertension Research Award from the American Heart Association.
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