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Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease

The Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease Research Unit, based at the North-West University (within the Faculty of Health Sciences), researches hypertension development in African populations, which have the highest average blood pressures recorded worldwide. The Unit’s aim is to increase awareness as well as to help implement more effective treatment and prevention programmes to lower the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure and renal failure.

Key focus areas

  • Identifying the impact of societal and environmental factors, health choices, HIV-infection, genetic risk markers, cardiovascular history, organ damage and biological changes on hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk;
  • Investigating effective strategies for early disease detection and prevention;
  • Producing new knowledge on the stages of hypertension and cardiovascular disease development to inform treatment and prevention programmes.


For more information, visit the NWU Website

Unit Director
  • +27 18 299 2462
  • marlien.pieters@nwu.ac.za