The American Heart Association named Vasan S. Ramachandran, MD, as its 2021 Distinguished Scientist in General Preventive Medicine. The Association designates Distinguished Scientist awards in several categories to AHA members who have significantly advanced the understanding of cardiovascular, stroke or brain health. Ramachandran was selected for this honor because of the impact of his work on clinical practice in hypertension, and his significant contributions to the genetic and non-genetic epidemiology of high blood pressure and heart failure. He has implemented population-based vascular testing (endothelial function and arterial stiffness), echocardiography and exercise testing at scale in community-based programs. He has raised awareness of the lifetime risk for high blood pressure— examining young adult and midlife blood pressures as significant determinants of an individual’s risk for heart disease and stroke.
