Hypertension & Your Kidneys —
Monday, March 16, 2009 - 12 noon (EST)

Hypertension affects one in four Americans and current national data estimate that approximately 72 million Americans have elevated blood pressure. Poorly controlled hypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular and kidney disease. Clinical studies show that good control of blood pressure provides the most significant protection from cardiac and kidney disease. Studies show that a significant proportion of Americans with hypertension are unaware that they have it, so few patients receive treatment for hypertension. Furthermore, only a third (33%) of patients who are receiving treatment are controlled to recommended blood pressure goal.

The Center for Blood Pressure Disorders Program at Cleveland Clinic is internationally acclaimed, having been at the forefront of basic and clinical research and advances in hypertension management for more than 70 years. Our research scientists had identified some of the chemicals that lead to hypertension and successfully performed the initial clinical trials with medications that are now used in standard hypertension management. The Center for Blood Pressure Disorders successfully runs one of the largest clinical programs for hypertension in the United States and treats difficult-to-control hypertension in patients referred from all over the U.S., Europe and Asia. The Center for Blood Pressure Disorders is a comprehensive hypertension management program staffed by physicians who are internationally recognized experts in hypertension. Our team at the center includes nephrologists, internists, dedicated physician assistants and experienced clinical nurse practitioners with a focus on providing quality patient care for the optimal control of blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

Dr. Mohammed Rafey was appointed to the Department of Nephrology & Hypertension in 2007. Dr. Rafey earned his medical degree from Bangalore University Medical College in Bangalore, India. He completed an internal medicine internship and residency at North General Hospital in New York. He was also a hypertension fellow and a nephrology fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He is a member of several professional societies, including the American Medical Association, American Society of Hypertension, American College of Physicians, American Society of Internal Medicine, American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation. Dr. Rafey has published several papers and abstracts on topics related to kidney disease, and hypertension.