New Hypertension Center Offers Multidisciplinary Expertise

The multidisciplinary Hypertension Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center offers a team of clinicians who can optimize the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension for patients with difficult-to-manage hypertension.

Columbia has a long history of hypertension research. The studies of the late Thomas Pickering, MD, an internationally renowned hypertension expert, helped establish the concepts of “white-coat” and “masked” hypertension, along with best practices in blood pressure measurement in and out of the office, says Ian M. Kronish, MD, the Florence Irving Associate Professor of Medicine, who directs the center with Daichi Shimbo, MD, associate professor of medicine, and Jai Radhakrishnan, MD, professor of medicine. 

“Our central mission of the new center is to improve human health in hypertension including providing state-of-the-art diagnostic testing for high blood pressure and delivering high quality care for patients with hypertension,” says Dr. Shimbo. 

Advanced diagnostic testing available at the center includes state-of-the-art office blood pressure measurement, out-of-clinic tests such as 24-hour ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring, pulse wave analysis to assess vascular function assessment, biochemical profiling, diagnostic imaging, and adrenal vein sampling.

The center specializes in the treatment of nocturnal hypertension, uncontrolled and resistant hypertension, secondary hypertension caused by other medical conditions, labile blood pressure, and orthostatic hypotension.

“In addition, we offer comprehensive care for patients with multiple diagnoses, such as kidney disease, that affect the management of hypertension,” says Dr. Radhakrishnan. 

“Many cardiologists and nephrologists have expertise in hypertension, and we don’t want to take over their patients’ care,” says Dr. Kronish. “We’re here to support primary care physicians and other specialists and provide in-depth evaluations, consultations, and treatment plans.” 

The center’s services are available at Columbia’s campus on 168th Street and at the ColumbiaDoctors Midtown location on West 51st Street. Appointments at either location can be scheduled by calling 212-342-1273.