For the past 10 years, a dedicated team at Monash Medical Centre has been quietly transforming the lives of people with primary aldosteronism (PA) – the most common hormonal cause of high blood pressure.
What began as a simple clinic has grown into one of Australia's leading endocrine hypertension services, giving more patients access to specialised care for a condition that often goes undiagnosed for years.
The clinic was created in 2016 to address a critical gap in the detection of endocrine (hormone-related) causes of hypertension – conditions that are frequently under-recognised but often treatable. Over the past decade, it has grown from one clinical session per fortnight to 14 sessions – and it is recognised as a leading multidisciplinary service, combining clinical care with research and innovation. For many patients, this means receiving an explanation for years of difficult-to-control blood pressure, and access to treatments that are tailored to the underlying cause of their condition.
"Many of our patients come to us after years of living with high blood pressure without knowing why," Professor Jun Yang, Head of the Endocrine Hypertension Clinic and clinician-researcher at Hudson Institute, said. "One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is being able to offer treatments that can significantly improve their health and quality of life."
Centres of endocrine hypertension excellence
Established under the aegis of the Endocrinology Unit of Monash Health and Hudson Institute of Medical Research by endocrine specialists Professor Jun Yang, Professor Peter Fuller and Dr Jimmy Shen, the clinic has run in parallel with their research at Hudson Institute, which has now grown into an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence, PACE (Primary Aldosteronism Centre of Excellence).
Hypertension remains one of the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Importantly, their research found that 10 – 20% of people with hypertension may have this underlying endocrine cause, primary aldosteronism. However, the condition is often missed in routine care, with barriers including limited healthcare provider awareness, access to diagnostics pathways, and variability in clinical management.
The clinic provides access to streamlined diagnostic services, including ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, dynamic testing such as saline suppression tests, and adrenal vein sampling. These capabilities enable precise diagnosis and personalised treatment, which in some cases can lead to a complete cure of the disease (and cure of hypertension).
Multidisciplinary approach is the key
A key strength of the service is its multidisciplinary approach, ensuring patients can access coordinated care from diagnosis through to treatment and long-term follow-up. Endocrinologists, nursing staff, chemical pathologists, interventional radiologists, and endocrine surgeons work collaboratively to deliver comprehensive, patient-centred care.
The clinic also maintains strong links with research programs led by the Endocrine Hypertension Group at Hudson Institute, with active participation in cohort studies and clinical trials. Collectively, the group contributes to international efforts to improve the diagnosis and management of endocrine hypertension.
As the clinic celebrates this 10-year milestone, it continues to focus on expanding awareness, improving early detection, and advancing research so that more people can access timely diagnoses, avoid preventable complications and benefit from effective treatment of the root cause of their hypertension.
