Department of Hypertension and Nephrology
Overview
Outline of the Department of Hypertension and Nephrology
The Department of Hypertension and Nephrology is part of the Division of Lifestyle-related Diseases, which is at the core of the preventive care and management of cerebral and cardiovascular diseases at the NCVC. The department manages and aims to prevent the progression of hypertension and kidney diseases and provides extracorporeal circulation therapies, notably hemodialysis, to patients.
In Japan, the current estimated number of people with hypertension is approximately 43 million. With the continuing and rapid population aging, this number is expected to further increase in the future. Hypertension, a common disease, is the greatest risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and adequate diagnosis and treatment of hypertension are critical. The personnel at the Department of Hypertension and Nephrology include specialists, councilors, and officers of the Japanese Society of Hypertension, who engage in the treatment of and clinical research on renovascular, refractory, and other types of hypertension as well as in non-pharmacological therapies for hypertension, including low-salt diet. The evidence presented by these personnel based on their clinical experience has been integrated into the Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension published by the Japanese Society of Hypertension.
Approximately 13 million people in Japan are diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a major risk factor for end-stage renal failure (which requires dialysis) and cerebral and cardiovascular diseases. At the Department of Hypertension and Nephrology, we perform kidney biopsies as part of diagnosis for renal diseases, for which we provide immunosuppressive therapy and other treatments. We also pursue the management of CKD using dietary and pharmacological approaches, the prevention of CKD progression to end-stage renal failure, and the prevention of cerebral or cardiovascular diseases and conduct related clinical studies. The evidence based on our clinical experience has been included in the Evidence-based Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of CKD published by the Japanese Society of Nephrology. The department personnel include specialists and councilors of this scientific society.
In Japan, there are approximately 320,000 patients with end-stage renal failure, and we mainly perform hemodialysis for such patients. Among complications experienced by patients on dialysis, cardiovascular diseases are the most critical. We manage patients on maintenance dialysis who have cardiovascular diseases and conduct related clinical studies. We also perform extracorporeal circulation therapies for patients with acute kidney disease complicated with cardiovascular diseases or other conditions. The department personnel include specialists and educator physicians who are members of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy.
At the Department of Hypertension and Nephrology, we are also active in areas other than clinical medical treatment: we conduct clinical studies, including multi-center joint research; develop and popularize "Karushio"recipes (recipes of low-salt dishes) within the framework of our campaign for low-salt dietary therapies; and perform research on novel biomarkers as well as translational research in areas related to hypertension and kidney diseases, thus accumulating and communicating quality clinical evidence.
Facility designation
- Specialist training facility recognized by the Japanese Society of Hypertension
- Specialist training facility recognized by the Japanese Society of Nephrology
- Specialist training facility recognized by the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy
- Specialist training facility recognized by the Japanese Circulation Society
- Specialist training facility recognized by the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
- Specialized facility designated for detailed medical examination within the framework of Osaka Prefecture's system of kidney examination in school
last updated : 2021/10/01