Dr. Raquibul Hasan, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Mercer University’s College of Pharmacy, has received the American Heart Association’s $300,000 Second Century Early Faculty Independence Award. Dr. Hasan’s third grant from the American Heart Association supports his research on how statins — widely used cholesterol-lowering medications — can also relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
While statins are known to reduce cholesterol levels, benefiting blood pressure over time, Dr. Hasan’s research has uncovered that statins can directly and quickly relax blood vessels without requiring cholesterol reduction. His lab identified three of the most prescribed statins activating a previously unknown target, resulting in immediate blood pressure-lowering effects.
“Researchers have debated for decades whether statins can lower blood pressure, with many conflicting findings. Our identification of this novel target clarifies the mechanism and will help clinicians better harness the blood pressure-lowering potential of statins,” said Dr. Hasan, principal investigator for the grant.
With over 200 million people using statins worldwide, this discovery could significantly impact global cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure through cholesterol reduction and direct vessel relaxation. Dr. Hasan’s lab, part of the Hasan Cardiovascular Research Laboratory at Mercer, is at the forefront of efforts to repurpose existing drugs and discover new treatments for vascular conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and erectile dysfunction.
Recently, Dr. Hasan delivered a seminar at Louisiana State University’s Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology to showcase these fundamental discoveries.
