Markham, ON - September 24, 2015
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Dr. Martin Myers, Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and member of the Division of Cardiology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, will receive Hypertension Canada's 2015 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his long-standing service and the resultant impact on the detection and treatment of hypertension in Canada.
Dr. Myers' 40-year career has encompassed what he refers to as the "Golden Age of Hypertension," characterized by significant breakthroughs in our understanding and treatment of high blood pressure. Throughout the 1990s, scores of highly effective new medications became household names. Many discoveries can be credited to entrepreneurial researchers, who sourced ample funding for their innovative work. "In those days," Dr. Myers says, "we had the resources to really make things happen."
Then as now, Dr. Myers was at the forefront of the hypertension community. He helped establish forums dedicated to hypertension, where health care professionals could discuss new research and findings. Dr. Myers is credited with founding the Toronto Hypertension Society, the Ontario Hypertension Society, and, ultimately, the Canadian Hypertension Society (CHS), for which he served on the board for the first 10 years.
Dr. Myers' special interest is in automated blood pressure measurement. "Some patients experience white-coat syndrome or a white-coat effect caused by anxiety while having their blood pressure measured," Dr. Myers says. "Automated devices have allowed us to work around this to get more accurate readings." His related clinical research studies throughout his career spurred important innovations to the way physicians diagnose and treat hypertension, codified in Hypertension Canada's clinical practice guidelines, the CHEP Recommendations. As the
chairman for CHEP Automated Blood Pressure Devices Sub-committee, Dr. Myers continues his advocacy for the use of automated devices in clinics, pharmacies and homes for the improved detection and treatment of Canadians with hypertension.
"We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Myers' dedication to making the innovations achieved through research available to Canada's health care professionals -- and thus to Canadians living with hypertension," says Angelique Berg, CEO of Hypertension Canada. "Dr. Myers is a most worthy recipient of our Distinguished Service Award."
Hypertension Canada invites the 7.5 million Canadians with hypertension to celebrate Dr. Myers' contributions to the advancement of hypertension research and health. Tweet @HTNCanada #ThxDrMyers. This award will be presented on Saturday, October 24 as part of the Canadian Hypertension Congress at Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites, Mississauga, Ontario, open to the media. For more information visit hypertension.ca
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