The Japanese Society of Hypertension (JSH) has announced the winners of the 6th Hypertension Research Award at the 38th Annual Scientific Meeting held on 9−11 October 2015 in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. This award was established in 2010 to recognize significant contributions of researchers to the advancement of researches in hypertension and related studies. Among the first or main authors of the articles published in Hypertension Research, the official journal of JSH, from April 2014 (Vol. 37, No. 4) to March 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 3) the journal’s editorial committee members selected the following winners.

Hypertension Research Award of Excellence

Dr Asako Kurauchi-Mito, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

For contribution of ‘Significant roles of the (pro)renin receptor in integrity of vascular smooth muscle cells’ Vol. 37, No. 9, pp 830–835.

This basic laboratory research demonstrated that the signal transduction mediated by prorenin receptor is essential for maintaining the integrity of vascular smooth muscle cells against inflammation and cell death using the genetically modified animal model.

Dr Asako Kurauchi-Mito

Hypertension Research Award

Dr Masanari Kuwabara, Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biofunction, Tottori University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Tottori, Japan.

For contribution of ‘Relationship between serum uric acid levels and hypertension among Japanese individuals not treated for hyperuricemia and hypertension’ Vol. 37, No. 8, pp 785–789.

This large-scale survey indicated the relationship between the increased serum uric acid levels and the prevalence of hypertension in untreated Japanese subjects.

Dr Masanari Kuwabara

Hypertension Research Award

Dr Tsuyoshi Miyagi, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nephrology and Neurology, University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan.

For contribution of ‘Interrelationship between brachial artery function and renal small artery sclerosis in chronic kidney disease’ Vol. 37, No. 9, pp 863–869.

Dr Tsuyoshi Miyagi

In this clinical study, the authors performed renal biopsy in a number of chronic kidney disease patients and analyzed the relation of renal small artery lesions with endothelial dysfunction physiologically evaluated in the brachial artery and by using a circulating inflammatory marker.