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Dr. Gregory Harshfield

Gregory Harshfield, PhD


Director, Georgia Prevention Center

Professor

Regents' Professor
Pediatrics
Graduate Studies
Physiology

Contact Info


Phone: (706) 721-7706
Fax: (706) 721-7150
Email: gharshfi@georgiahealth.edu
Office: HS-1640 

Education and Training


Postdoctoral
NIH, Cornell Medical Center, NY 1980

Ph.D.
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 1978
Experimental Psychology

M.A.
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 1977
Experimental Psychology

B.A.
Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio 1974
Experimental Psychology

Research Highlights


1.       Contributed to the development of the field of automatic, noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
           first in adults and then in youth:
a.       Validation studies of first recorders (1)
b.       JAMA article with Dr. Pickering helped bring new technique to national and international national attention (2)
c.       Echo article with Dr. Devereux among the first to relate 24-hour patterns to target organ damage (3)
d.       Book chapters helped define methodologies for recording and analyses still in use today (4, 5)
e.       White coat article with Dr. Pickering among the first to characterize this syndrome (6

2.       Discovered the blunted nocturnal decline in blood pressure that characterizes African-American adults and
           adolescents:
a.       First report on 35 adults presented at the AHA Council for Epidemiology (7)
b.       Series of reports in children and adolescents (8-14)
c.       Verification of race difference based on longitudinal data (15, 16

3.       One of the pioneers of the concept of stress-induced sodium retention in humans:
a.       Published largest series of studies to date
b.       Published only review article to date (17)
c.       Demonstrated greater retention in African-Americans (18, 19)
d.       Demonstrated increased adiposity contribute to sodium retention during stress (20, 21)
e.       Demonstrated sodium retention during stress results in a delay in blood pressure to return to pre-stress levels
          pressure (22)
f.        Demonstrated sodium retention during stress pattern is associated with the premature development of target
          organ damage to the heart and kidneys, in African-Americans (19, 23)  

Projects


Lab


 

Select Publications   Pub Med


Harshfield GA, Pickering TG, Laragh JH. A validation study of the Del Mar Avionics Ambulatory Blood Pressure System. Ambulatory  Electrocardiol. 1979;1:7-12.

Pickering TG, Harshfield GA, Kleinert HD, Blank S, Laragh JH. Blood pressure during normal daily activities, sleep, and exercise. Comparison of values in normal and hypertensive subjects. Jama. 1982;247(7):992-6

Devereux RB, Pickering TG, Harshfield GA, Kleinert HD, Denby L, Clark L, et al. Left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with hypertension: Importance of blood pressure response to regularly recurring stress. Circulation. 1983;68:470-6.

Harshfield GA, Pickering TG, Blank S, Lindahl C, Stroud L, Laragh JH. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: Recorders, applications, and analysis. In: Weber M, Drayer J, editors. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Darmstadt: Steinhopff-Verlag; 1984. p. 1-7.

Harshfield GA, Hwang C, Blank SG, Pickering TG. Research techniques for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. In: Schneiderman N, Kaufman P, Weis SM, editors. Research Methods in Cardiovascular Behavavavioral Medicine. BY, NY: Plenum Press; 1989. p. 293-309.

Pickering TG, James GD, Boddie C, Harshfield GA, Blank SG, Laragh JH. How common is white coat hypertension? JAMA. 1988;259:225-8.

Harshfield GA, Hwang C, Edmunson J, Grim CE. Daily blood pressure patterns in blacks. CVD EPIDEM Newsletter. 1987;41:137.

Harshfield GA, Alpert BS, Willey ES, Somes GW, Murphy JK, Dupaul LM. Race and gender influence ambulatory blood pressure patterns of adolescents. Hypertension. 1989;14(6):598-603.

Harshfield GA, Dupaul LM, Alpert BS, Christman JV, Willey ES, Murphy JK, et al. Aerobic fitness and the diurnal rhythm of blood pressure in adolescents. Hypertension. 1990;15(6 Pt 2):810-4.

Harshfield GA, Pulliam DA, Alpert BS, Stapleton FB, Willey ES, Somes GW. Ambulatory blood pressure patterns in children and adolescents: influence of renin-sodium profiles. Pediatrics. 1991;87(1):94-100.

Harshfield GA. Factors associated with differences in the diurnal variation of blood pressure in humans. In: Schmidt TF, Engel BT, Blumchen G, editors. Temporal variations of the cardiovascular system. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1992. p. 272-82.

Harshfield GA, Pulliam DA, Somes GW, Alpert BS. Ambulatory blood pressure patterns in youth. Am J Hypertens. 1993;6(11 Pt 1):968-73.

Harshfield GA, Alpert BS, Pulliam DA, Somes GW, Wilson DK. Ambulatory blood pressure recordings in children and adolescents. Pediatrics. 1994;94(2 Pt 1):180-4.

Urbina E, Alpert B, Flynn J, Hayman L, Harshfield GA, Jacobson M, et al. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children and adolescents: recommendations for standard assessment: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and Obesity in Youth Committee of the council on cardiovascular disease in the young  and the council for high blood pressure research. Hypertension. 2008;52(3):433-51.

Wang X, Poole JC, Treiber FA, Harshfield GA, Hanevold CD, Snieder H. Ethnic and gender differences in ambulatory blood pressure trajectories: results from a 15-year longitudinal study in youth and young adults. Circulation. 2006;114(25):2780-7.

Li Z, Snieder H, Su S, Harshfield GA, Treiber FA, Wang X. A longitudinal study of blood pressure variability in African-American and European American youth. J Hypertens. 2010;28(4):715-22.

Harshfield GA, Dong Y, Kapuku GK, Zhu H, Hanevold CD. Stress-induced sodium retention and hypertension: a review and hypothesis. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2009;11(1):29-34.

Harshfield GA, Wilson M, Hanevold C, Kapuku G, Mackey L, Gillis D, et al. Impaired stress-induced pressure natriuresis increases cardiovascular load in African American youths. Am J Hypertens. 2002;15(10):903-6.

Harshfield GA, Treiber FA, Davis H, Kapuku GK. Impaired stress-induced pressure natriuresis is related to left ventricle structure in blacks. Hypertension. 2002;39(4):844-7.

Barbeau P, Litaker MS, Harshfield GA. Impaired pressure natriuresis in obese youths. Obes Res. 2003;11(6):745-51.

Wilson ME, Harshfield GA, Ortiz L, Hanevold C, Kapuka G, Mackey L, et al. Relationship of body composition to stress-induced pressure natriuresis in youth. Am J Hypertens. 2004;17(11 Pt 1):1023-8.

Harshfield GA, Wilson ME, Hanevold C, Kapuku GK, Mackey L, Gillis D, et al. Impaired stress-induced pressure natriuresis increases cardiovascularload in African American youths. Am J Hypertens. 2002;15(10 Pt 1):903-6.

Hanevold CD, Pollock JS, Harshfield GA. Racial differences in microalbumin excretion in healthy adolescents. Hypertension. 2008;51(2):334-8.

Savoca MR, Mackey L, Evans C, Wilson MA, Ludwig DA, Harshfield GA. The association of ambulatory blood pressure and dietary caffeine in adolescents. Am J Hypertens 2005; 18:116-20.

Zhu H, Poole J, Lu Y, et al. Sympathetic nervous system, genes and human essential hypertension. Curr Neurovasc Res 2005;2(4):303-17.

Imumorin IG, Dong Y, Zhu H, et al. A gene-environment interaction model of stress-induced hypertension. Cardiovasc Tox 2005;5.

Zhu H, Lu Y, Wang X, Treiber FA, Harshfield GA, Snieder H, Dong Y. The G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 gene affects blood pressure in young normotensive twins. Am J Hypertens. 2006;19:61-6.

Zhu H, Wang X, Lu Y, Poola J, Momin Z, Harshfield GA, Snieder H, Dong Y. Update on G-protein polymorphisms in hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep. 2006;8:23-9.

Lu Y, Zhu H, Wang X, Snieder H, Huang Y, Harshfield GA, Treiber FA, Dong Y. Effects of Dopamine Receptor Type 1 and Gs Protein alpha Subunit Gene Polymorphisms on Blood Pressure at Rest and in Response to Stress. Am J Hypertens. 2006;19:832-6.

Kapuku GK, Harshfield GA, Davis HC, Treiber FA. Early markers of cardiovascular disease. Vascul Pharmacol 2006;45(5):277-80.

Wang X, Poole JC, Treiber FA, Harshfield GA, Hanevold CD, Snieder H. Ethnic and gender differences in ambulatory blood pressure trajectories: results from a 15-year longitudinal study in youth and young adults. Circulation 2006;114(25):2780-7.

Ge D, Zhu H, Huang Y, Treiber FA, Harshfield GA, et al. Multilocus analyses of Renin-Angiotensin-aldosterone system gene variants on blood pressure at rest and during behavioral stress in young normotensive subjects. Hypertension 2007;49(1):107-12.

Savoca MR, Domel Baxter S, Ludwig DA, Evans CD, Mackey ML, Wilson ME, Hanevold C, Harshfield GA. A 4-day sodium-controlled diet reduces variability of overnight sodium excretion in free-living normotensive adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:490-4.

Zhu H, Yan W, Ge D, Treiber FA, Harshfield GA, et al. Cardiovascular characteristics in american youth with prehypertension. Am J Hypertens 2007;20(10):1051-7.

Kapuku GK, Davis HC, Shah N, McMillan AM, Harshfield GA. Gender Differences in Diastolic Function Among Youth. Pediatr Cardiol 2007.

Kapuku GK, Davis HC, Shah N, McMillan AM, Harshfield GA. Gender Differences in Diastolic Function Among Youth. Pediatr Cardiol 2007.

Harshfield GA, Hanevold C, Kapuku GK, Dong Y, Castles ME, Ludwig DA. The association of race and sex to the pressure natriuresis response to stress. Ethnicity & Disease 2007;17:498-302.

Zhu H, Yan W, Ge D, Treiber FA, Harshfield GA, et al. Relationships of Cardiovascular Phenotypes With Healthy Weight, at Risk of Overweight, and Overweight in US Youths. Pediatrics 2008;121(1):115-22.

Hanevold CD, Pollock JS, Harshfield GA. Racial differences in microalbumin excretion in healthy adolescents. Hypertension 2008;51:1-5.

Kapuku GK, Ge D, Vemulapalli S, Harshfield GA, Treiber FA, Snieder H. Change of Genetic Determinants of Left Ventricular Structure in Adolescence: Longitudinal Evidence From the Georgia Cardiovascular Twin Study. Am J Hypertens. Apr 24 2008.

Yan W, Yao H, Dai J, Cui J, Chen Y, Yang X, Harshfield GA, Wang X. Waist Circumference Cutoff Points in School-aged Chinese Han and Uygur Children. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md. May 1 2008.

Barnes VA, Pendergrast RA, Harshfield GA, Treiber FA. Impact of breathing awareness meditation on ambulatory blood pressure and sodium handling in prehypertensive African American adolescents. Ethnicity & disease. Winter 2008;18(1):1-5.

Urbina E, Alpert B, Flynn J, Hayman L, Harshfield GA, Jacobson M, Mahoney L, McCrindle B, Mietus-Snyder M, Steinberger J, Daniels S. Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Children and Adolescents: Recommendations for Standard Assessment. A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and Obesity in Youth Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young and the Council for High Blood Pressure Research. Hypertension. Aug 4 2008.

Zhu H, Yan W, Tan Y, Li K, Kapuku G, Treiber FA, Su S, Harshfield GA, Snieder H, Dong Y. Adhesion molecule polymorphisms and pulse wave velocity in American youth. Twin Res Hum Genet. Oct 2008;11(5):517-523.

Zhu H, Chao J, Guo D, Li K, Huang Y, Hawkins K, Wright N, Stallmann-Jorgenson I, Yan W, Harshfield GA, Dong Y. Urinary Prostasin: A Possible Biomarker For Renal Pressure Natriuresis In Black Adolescents. Pediatric Research. Dec 24 2009.

Harshfield GA, Dong Y, Kapuku GK, Zhu H, Hanevold CD. Stress-induced sodium retention and hypertension: a review and hypothesis. Curr Hypertens Rep. Feb 2009;11(1):29-34.

Savoca MR, Quandt SA, Evans CD, Flint TL, Bradfield AG, Morton TB, Harshfield GA, Ludwig DA. Views of hypertension among young African Americans who vary in their risk of developing hypertension. Ethnic and Dis., 19, 28-34.

Ge D, Su S, Zhu H, Dong Y, Wang X, Harshfield GA, Treiber FA, Snieder H. Stress-induced sodium excretion: a new intermediate phenotype to study the early genetic etiology of hypertension? Hypertension. Feb 2009;53(2):262-269.

Wang X, Ding X, Su S, Yan W, Harshfield G, Treiber F, Snieder H.(2009). "Genetic influences on daytime and night-time blood pressure: similarities and differences." J Hypertens 27(12): 2358-2364. 

Li Z, Snieder H, Su S, Harshfield GA, Treiber FA, Wang X. (2010). "A longitudinal study of blood pressure variability in African-American and European American youth." J Hypertens.

Wang X, Zhu H, Snieder H, Su S, Munn D, Harshfield G, Maria BL, Dong Y, Treiber F, Gutin B, Shi H. (2010). "Obesity related methylation changes in DNA of peripheral blood leukocytes." BMC Med 8: 87.

Wang X, Ding X, Su S, Harshfield G, Treiber F, Snieder H. (2011). "Genetic influence on blood pressure measured in the office, under laboratory stress and during real life." Hypertens Res 34(2): 239-244.

Kapuku, G. K., H. C. Davis, et al. (2012). "Does the Relationship Between Natriuretic Hormones and Diastolic Function Differ by Race?" Am J Med Sci.

Honors/Awards


1978                  Behavior Genetics Association Dobzhanzky Award, outstanding research paper

1981 - 86          Research Career Development Award

1987 - 88          Senior Investigator-American Heart Association, Greater Los Angeles Affiliate

2003                  Medical College of Georgia Distinguished Faculty Award for Clinical Faculty Research

2005                  Editorial board, Hypertension

2005                       Membership, American Pediatric Society

2008                 Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine Award, Outstanding Research Faculty Member

2009                 Medical College of Georgia Research Institute, Distinguished Research Award for Clinical Research

2012                 GHSU Research Institute, Mahesh Distinguished Research Award

 

Revised: 1/28/13