Una Martin

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Una Martin
Alma mater Trinity College Dublin
University of Edinburgh
Known for Hypertension
Scientific career
Institutions University of Birmingham
University of Southampton

Una Martin is an emeritus professor of clinical pharmacology and was formerly the deputy pro-vice chancellor for equalities at the University of Birmingham. She is an expert in hypertension and ambulatory monitoring. She is a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society.

Contents

Early life and education

Martin grew up in Ireland, where her parents were dentists. [1] Her father was Dr Nicholas Martin and her mother was Josephine Mary (Maura) Martin. [1] She studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin and graduated in 1983. [2] [3] During her studies she completed an intercalated degree in pharmacology. Martin trained to registrar level in cardiology in Dublin before moving to Edinburgh for her doctoral studies. Martin earned a PhD at the University of Edinburgh. [4]

Research and career

Martin joined the University of Southampton as a lecturer in clinical pharmacology. [5] [6] She worked on allergic rhinitis and studied whether nitric oxide in exhaled breath could be used to diagnose asthma. [7] She was made a senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham in 1996. She had just given birth to her first child. [4] She identified that patients with hypertension experienced less pain than those with normal blood pressure. [8] She wondered whether this diminished pain perception could be part of a larger impairment, eventually impacting memory. [8] Whilst hypertension became characterised by cognitive deficits, Martin studied the reaction times of people with hypertension and found that reaction times did not differ between people with and without hypertension. [9] Whilst diagnosis of hypertension is typically made using blood pressure measurements in a clinic, Martin pointed out that ambulatory monitoring is the most cost effective and correlates best with cardiovascular outcomes. [10] [11]

Martin is the lead of the Hypertension Service at University Hospitals Birmingham. She has called for people with mild hypertension to try more healthy lifestyles before turning to pharmaceuticals for hypertension. [12] She developed the NICE Clinical Guideline on Hyperternsion (CG127). [13] She has studied the influence of ethnicity on blood pressure measurement. She has investigated the challenges in treating hypertension in elderly patients due to complications with medicine, as well as the risks of treating women of child-bearing age with antihypertensive drugs. [14] [15] The proportion of the UK population who are elderly is increasing, and they are the biggest consumers of drugs, often taking unnecessary medication and Martin has investigated when non-drug therapies can be used in the treatment of elderly patients. [16] Martin has been part of various clinical trials using hypertensives, and has examined the effectiveness of personalised treatment. [17] She has investigated how to manage and diagnose resistant hypertension. [18]

Martin has been involved in the development of undergraduate education; creating the Prescribers’ Licence, which eventually became the National Prescribing Assessment. In 2009 she established the Dr Nicholas and Mrs Maura Martin Scholarship at University College Dublin, a €2000 scholarship for clinical medical electives. [19] She investigated the use of control charts to monitor clinical variables in four conditions; hypertension, asthma, renal function and diabetes. [20]

Martin became programme director of the Wellcome Trust Research Facility at the University of Birmingham in 2014 and was promoted to professor in 2015. She was elected to the editorial board of the British Journal of Cardiology in 2017. [21]

Equality and advocacy

Martin is involved with activities to promote equality and diversity at the University of Birmingham. [4] Since 2007 she has chaired the Women in Academic Medicine group at the University of Birmingham. [4] She led the University of Birmingham Medical School silver Athena SWAN application in 2014. She was made deputy pro-vice-chancellor for equalities in 2015. [22] Martin is leading on the University of Birmingham application to the Race Equality Charter. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiology</span> Branch of medicine dealing with the heart

Cardiology is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and electrophysiology. Physicians who specialize in this field of medicine are called cardiologists, a specialty of internal medicine. Pediatric cardiologists are pediatricians who specialize in cardiology. Physicians who specialize in cardiac surgery are called cardiothoracic surgeons or cardiac surgeons, a specialty of general surgery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood pressure</span> Pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of arteries

Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" refers to the pressure in a brachial artery, where it is most commonly measured. Blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic pressure over diastolic pressure in the cardiac cycle. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) above the surrounding atmospheric pressure, or in kilopascals (kPa). The difference between the systolic and diastolic pressures is known as pulse pressure, while the average pressure during a cardiac cycle is known as mean arterial pressure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypertension</span> Long-term high blood pressure in the arteries

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. It is, however, a major risk factor for stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral arterial disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart failure</span> Failure of the heart to provide sufficient blood flow

Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms, caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, and leg swelling. The shortness of breath may occur with exertion or while lying down, and may wake people up during the night. Chest pain, including angina, is not usually caused by heart failure, but may occur if the heart failure was caused by a heart attack. The severity of the heart failure is mainly decided based on ejection fraction and also measured by the severity of symptoms. Other conditions that may have symptoms similar to heart failure include obesity, kidney failure, liver disease, anemia, and thyroid disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypotension</span> Abnormally low blood pressure

Hypotension is low blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. Blood pressure is indicated by two numbers, the systolic blood pressure and the diastolic blood pressure, which are the maximum and minimum blood pressures, respectively. A systolic blood pressure of less than 90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or diastolic of less than 60 mmHg is generally considered to be hypotension. Different numbers apply to children. However, in practice, blood pressure is considered too low only if noticeable symptoms are present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulmonary artery</span> Artery in pulmonary circulation carrying deoxygenated blood from heart to lungs

A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the main pulmonary artery or pulmonary trunk from the heart, and the smallest ones are the arterioles, which lead to the capillaries that surround the pulmonary alveoli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patent ductus arteriosus</span> Condition wherein the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a medical condition in which the ductus arteriosus fails to close after birth: this allows a portion of oxygenated blood from the left heart to flow back to the lungs through the aorta, which has a higher blood pressure, to the pulmonary artery, which has a lower blood pressure. Symptoms are uncommon at birth and shortly thereafter, but later in the first year of life there is often the onset of an increased work of breathing and failure to gain weight at a normal rate. With time, an uncorrected PDA usually leads to pulmonary hypertension followed by right-sided heart failure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulmonary hypertension</span> Increased blood pressure in lung arteries

Pulmonary hypertension is a condition of increased blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fainting, tiredness, chest pain, swelling of the legs, and a fast heartbeat. The condition may make it difficult to exercise. Onset is typically gradual. According to the definition at the 6th World Symposium of Pulmonary Hypertension in 2018, a patient is deemed to have pulmonary hypertension if the pulmonary mean arterial pressure is greater than 20mmHg at rest, revised down from a purely arbitrary 25mmHg, and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) greater than 3 Wood units.

Essential hypertension is the form of hypertension that by definition has no identifiable secondary cause. It is the most common type affecting 85% of those with high blood pressure. The remaining 15% is accounted for by various causes of secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension tends to be familial and is likely to be the consequence of an interaction between environmental and genetic factors. Prevalence of essential hypertension increases with age, and individuals with relatively high blood pressure at younger ages are at increased risk for the subsequent development of hypertension. Hypertension can increase the risk of cerebral, cardiac, and renal events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amiloride</span> Medication

Amiloride, sold under the trade name Midamor among others, is a medication typically used with other medications to treat high blood pressure or swelling due to heart failure or cirrhosis of the liver. Amiloride is classified as a potassium-sparing diuretic. Amiloride is often used together with another diuretic, such as a thiazide or loop diuretic. It is taken by mouth. Onset of action is about two hours and it lasts for about a day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renal artery stenosis</span> Medical condition

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the narrowing of one or both of the renal arteries, most often caused by atherosclerosis or fibromuscular dysplasia. This narrowing of the renal artery can impede blood flow to the target kidney, resulting in renovascular hypertension – a secondary type of high blood pressure. Possible complications of renal artery stenosis are chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease.

Alpha-1 blockers constitute a variety of drugs that block the effect of catecholamines on alpha-1-adrenergic receptors. They are mainly used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), hypertension and post-traumatic stress disorder. Alpha-1 adrenergic receptors are present in vascular smooth muscle, the central nervous system, and other tissues. When alpha blockers bind to these receptors in vascular smooth muscle, they cause vasodilation.

Secondary hypertension is a type of hypertension which by definition is caused by an identifiable underlying primary cause. It is much less common than the other type, called essential hypertension, affecting only 5-10% of hypertensive patients. It has many different causes including endocrine diseases, kidney diseases, and tumors. It also can be a side effect of many medications.

Pharmacotherapy, also known as pharmacological therapy or drug therapy, is defined as medical treatment that utilizes one or more pharmaceutical drugs to improve on-going symptoms, treat the underlying condition, or act as a prevention for other diseases (prophylaxis).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebivolol</span> Chemical compound

Nebivolol is a beta blocker used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. As with other β-blockers, it is generally a less preferred treatment for high blood pressure. It may be used by itself or with other blood pressure medication. It is taken by mouth.

Hypertension is managed using lifestyle modification and antihypertensive medications. Hypertension is usually treated to achieve a blood pressure of below 140/90 mmHg to 160/100 mmHg. According to one 2003 review, reduction of the blood pressure by 5 mmHg can decrease the risk of stroke by 34% and of ischaemic heart disease by 21% and reduce the likelihood of dementia, heart failure, and mortality from cardiovascular disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Webb (pharmacologist)</span>

David John Webb, is a British physician, scientist and clinical pharmacologist, who currently holds the Christison Chair of Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet P. Dustan</span> American physician

Harriet Pearson Dustan (1920–1999) was an American physician who is known for her pioneering contributions to effective detection and treatment of hypertension. She was the first woman to serve on the Board of Governors of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Ayodele Olajide Falase is a Nigerian cardiologist and academic. He is a former vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan. He served as a WHO Expert committee member on cardiopathies and on a WHO expert panel on cardiovascular disease. Professor Ayodele Falase got the Honorary fellowship award at the University of Ibadan 71st founder’s day held in 2019.

A non-pharmaceutical intervention or non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) is any type of health intervention which is not primarily based on medication. Some examples include exercise, sleep improvement, or dietary habits.

References

  1. 1 2 "January 2016". UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  2. ↑ "Consultant directory". www.uhb.nhs.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "January 2016". UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Buzz 161". Issuu. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "Specialty spotlight – clinical pharmacology and therapeutics". RCP London. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  6. ↑ Pirmohamed, Munir; Martin, Una (1995). "Therapeutics 1995". Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London. 29 (6): 530–534. ISSN   0035-8819. PMC   5401235 . PMID   8748111.
  7. ↑ Howarth, Peter; Devoy, Michael; Bryden, Kate; Martin, Una (1 March 1996). "Increased levels of exhaled nitric oxide during nasal and oral breathing in subjects with seasonal rhinitis". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 97 (3): 768–772. doi:10.1016/S0091-6749(96)80154-0. ISSN   0091-6749. PMID   8613633.
  8. 1 2 "Pain barrier clue to hypertension". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  9. ↑ Edwards, Louisa; Ring, Christopher; McIntyre, David; Carroll, Douglas; Martin, Una (2007). "Psychomotor speed in hypertension: Effects of reaction time components, stimulus modality, and phase of the cardiac cycle". Psychophysiology. 44 (3): 459–468. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2007.00521.x . ISSN   1469-8986. PMID   17433098.
  10. ↑ McManus, Richard J.; Wonderling, David; Williams, Bryan; Martin, Una; Mant, Jonathan; Hodgkinson, James; Hobbs, FD Richard; Heneghan, Carl; Caulfield, Mark (1 October 2011). "Cost-effectiveness of options for the diagnosis of high blood pressure in primary care: a modelling study". The Lancet. 378 (9798): 1219–1230. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61184-7. ISSN   0140-6736. PMID   21868086. S2CID   5151024.
  11. ↑ Sheppard James P.; Stevens Richard; Gill Paramjit; Martin Una; Godwin Marshall; Hanley Janet; Heneghan Carl; Hobbs F.D. Richard; Mant Jonathan (1 May 2016). "Predicting Out-of-Office Blood Pressure in the Clinic (PROOF-BP)". Hypertension. 67 (5): 941–950. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.115.07108. PMC   4905620 . PMID   27001299.
  12. ↑ NIHR Dissemination Centre (22 January 2019). "Lifestyle changes for mild hypertension rather than drugs". discover.dc.nihr.ac.uk. doi:10.3310/signal-000713 . Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "Overview | Hypertension in adults: diagnosis and management | Guidance | NICE". www.nice.org.uk. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "Professor Una Martin – School of Pharmacy – University of Birmingham". www.birmingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  15. ↑ Mann, Ronald D.; Andrews, Elizabeth B. (24 January 2003). Pharmacovigilance. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   9780470852972.
  16. ↑ "Psychiatry Website – John Wiley & Sons, Ltd". www.wiley.com. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "Clinical Trial – AIM HY INFORM". AIM HY. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  18. ↑ McManus, Richard J.; Martin, Una; Sheppard, James P. (1 August 2017). "Diagnosis and management of resistant hypertension". Heart. 103 (16): 1295–1302. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308297. ISSN   1355-6037. PMID   28663366. S2CID   206973930.
  19. ↑ "Summer Elective Competition". UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  20. ↑ Martin, Una; Coleman, Jamie J.; Mohammed, Mohammed A.; Tennant, Ruth (1 August 2007). "Monitoring patients using control charts: a systematic review". International Journal for Quality in Health Care. 19 (4): 187–194. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzm015 . ISSN   1353-4505. PMID   17545672.
  21. ↑ BrJCardiol. "New editorial board members | The British Journal of Cardiology". bjcardio.co.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  22. ↑ "Provost, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellors and Senior Tutor – University of Birmingham". www.birmingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  23. ↑ "Race Equality in HE". www.birmingham-nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
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