Study Investigates Impact of Hypertension on Peri-Operative Health Outcomes

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A study investigating the impact of hypertension, or high blood pressure, on the peri-operative (around the time of the operation) health outcomes of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, secured Dr Yoshan Moodley a PhD in Anaesthestics. 

‘Globally there is still some uncertainty as to whether hypertension is associated with a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure shortly after surgery,’ said Moodley.

Titled: “Peri-Operative Studies of Hypertension”, the research investigated whether South African non-cardiac surgical patients with hypertension were at higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure following their procedures compared to patients who did not have hypertension.  

According to Moodley, the research has important implications with regard to how surgical patients with hypertension are clinically managed prior to their surgery. 

‘This research provided new scientific findings describing the potentially harmful effects of commencing beta-blockers (a medication used to treat hypertension) shortly before surgery. Furthermore, this research also resulted in the development of the South African Vascular Surgical-Cardiac Risk Index (SAVS-CRI), which can be used to identify vascular surgery patients who are most at risk of developing a heart attack around the time of their surgery,’ he explained.

Moodley completed his PhD thesis by publication. In total, his thesis consisted of five research manuscripts published in local and international medical journals.  ‘Completing a PhD by publications can be challenging, but careful planning and determination can make it a rewarding experience, especially when you see your research indexed in international medical databases such as PubMed.’

He is a recipient of an NRF Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship and is currently involved in post-doctoral research at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine where he is investigating the impact of HIV infection on peri-operative health outcomes in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. 

He is also currently supervising a master’s student who is conducting a study on hospitalised older adults with HIV infection.

‘I would like to become an academic at a South African university, which will enable me to continue my research,’ he added.

Nombuso Dlamini