Profile of Ayman El-Kadi, PhD
Professor and Associate Dean
(Research and Graduate Studies)
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
4132 Dentistry/Pharmacy Centre
Phone (780) 492-3071
Fax (780) 492-1217
Research
Heart failure is a very serious cardiovascular disease that affects more than five million people in North America. In Canada, heart failure affects more than 400,000 Canadians and costs over $1 billion annually for inpatient care alone. Despite the substantial progress made during the past two decades of heart research, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in North America and accounts for about 45% of all deaths. The role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) in cardiovascular health and disease is well established. Many CYP enzymes have been identified in the heart and their levels have been reported to be altered during cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Cardiac hypertrophy is a well established risk factor for heart failure. If untreated, cardiac hypertrophy can ultimately lead to heart failure, arrhythmia and sudden death. My long-term goal is to understand the role of CYP enzymes in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. Understanding the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy may provide important clues for the development of rational therapies for the prevention and treatment of heart failure. The development of these rational therapies will decrease morbidity and mortality and hence diminish health care costs.
