As a Professor and Vice-Chair of Research for the Department of Internal Medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, the Mayborn Chair in Cardiovascular Research at Scott & White in Temple and the Director in the Division of Molecular Cardiology at the college, it’s easy to say that Kenneth M. Baker, M.D., FAHA has a few things on his plate.  And don’t be surprised to learn that this isn’t all Dr. Baker has been up to.  

In August 2009, Dr. Baker and his research team received two R01 awards, a research grant initiated by the researcher in response to a need in a particular scientific field, from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for $1 million and $625,000. This funded research concentrates on understanding the biochemical and molecular mechanisms that regulate cardiac cell growth, specifically the renin-angiotensin system and its direct involvement in mediating cell growth in the heart.

“Our work in both funded areas should provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy,” Dr. Baker said. “What we have found in the one area, suggests that this type of disease process could possibly more effectively treated with renin inhibitors in contrast to the present usage of angiotensin receptor blockers  or ‘ARBs’ and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors commonly known as ‘ACE inhibitors.’”

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a clinical condition diagnosed when a weakening of the heart muscle or a change in heart muscle structure forms. Of the causes leading to cardiac dysfunction, diabetes is the most prevalent with more than 30 percent of diabetics in the United States diagnosed with heart disease. Currently, there is not a single clinically effective treatment for diabetic cardiomyopathy. For now, treatment through dietetic glycemic regulation, oral hypoglycemics, insulin and management of heart failure symptoms are the norm.

 “As a cardiologist, it is important for me to have areas of investigation that relate fairly closely to patient treatment,” Dr. Baker said. “Hopefully, some of the work we are presently doing will have broad based application to diabetic hypertensive patients.”

In addition to the R01 grants, Dr. Baker also received two other grants in 2009: the first for $221,058 from the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc. to study intreacellular renin angiotensin system and development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and a Scott & White Research Vision Award for $110,000 to study molecular mechanisms of osteoporosis in diabetes mellitus.

 “Overall, the area of research has been very rewarding to me personally,” Dr. Baker said. “It’s been an exciting area of investigative activity with direct clinical application in many instances. I have been able to be at the heart of this research area for over 30 years. I feel very fortunate to be able to have had this career and to be interacting with so many diligent and hard-working professional individuals.”