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STREETEN, David Henry Palmer (50122)

Birth

  • Born on October 03, 1921 in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa

Death

  • Died on September 29, 2000 in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., NY
  • Buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse, Onondaga Co., NY

Marriages

Children

Notes

  • Occupation: Physician
  • Death: Cerebral Vascular Accident
  • Obituary: Dr. David H. P. Streeten died at University Hospital, Syracuse, New York, on September 29, 2000. He was at work writing journal articles, chapters, and books when he suffered a cerebral vascular accident. His funeral was on October 3, 2000, which would have been his 79th birthday. At the time of his death, Dr. Streeten was Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. He had remained active in retirement, continuing his research contributions. Dr. Streeten was an international authority on disorders of the adrenal gland, endocrine causes of hypertension, and autonomic and orthostatic disorders of the circulation. His monograph entitled Orthostatic Disorders of the Circulation: Mechanisms, Manifestations and Treatment (Plenum Medical, 1986) remains a classic. His pioneering research into such disorders established him as a world authority on abnormal postural effects on blood pressure as well as on a wide variety of disorders associated with edema, including orthostatic and cyclical edema in women, for which he established a detailed categorization. Dr. Streeten authored many papers involving the diagnosis and management of Cushing's disease. He also worked closely with Dr. Arnold Moses in developing the concept of the osmotic threshold for vasopressin release, and in describing factors that altered that threshold. Dr. Streeten was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and received his B.Sc. with distinction from the University of South Africa, his M.B. and B.C.H. with first class honors from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and his D. Phil. in Pharmacology from Oxford University in England. From 1951 to 1953 he worked in the laboratory of Dr. George Thorn at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, studying the actions of ACTH and hydrocortisone. In 1953 he went to the University of Michigan where he worked with Drs. Jerome Conn and Stefan Fajans. While he was at the University of Michigan, where he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, he established a novel bioassay for the (then) new hormone aldosterone. The assay was used to describe the existence of a new cause of hypertension, primary aldosteronism, in a patient who was being studied by Dr. Conn. This was the first individual in the world diagnosed with primary aldosteronism as the cause of hypertension, which is now routinely curable with the removal of the adrenal tumor. At the University of Michigan he also developed an interest in periodic paralysis, diabetes, and autonomic function, the latter becoming a major research focus for the rest of his life. Dr. Streeten was recruited to Syracuse, New York, in 1960, where he served as Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Endocrinology Section, Department of Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, until his official retirement in 1994. During his years in Syracuse, Dr. Streeten studied the mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and treatment of blood pressure disorders. He developed a simple outpatient procedure for diagnosing primary aldosteronism and other forms of "secondary hypertension." He used this procedure on over 5000 hypertensive patients, some hundreds of whom were cured of their hypertension by recognizing and treating the adrenal, renal, and other mechanisms of their high blood pressure that his studies revealed. Through these and other measurements on his patients, he discovered three new forms of "secondary hypertension": hypothyroid hypertension, orthostatic hypertension, and primary hyperepinephrinemia, all of which respond best to forms of treatment different from the nonspecific use of antihypertensive agents. Dr. Streeten was a charter member of the American Society of Hypertension and in 1998 was awarded the Irvine Page-Alva Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award by the Council for High Blood Pressure Research of the American Heart Association for his many contributions. Dr. Streeten's interest in blood pressure and postural disorders led to studies of the mechanisms and clinical manifestations of low blood pressure. He demonstrated for the first time that a fall in blood pressure in the upright posture can result not only from a reduced circulating blood volume, but also from failure of the veins in the lower limbs to contract normally in the standing position. The combination of a low volume of circulating plasma and red blood cells, and excessive pooling of blood in the leg veins while standing, was shown to be the cause of ill health involving fainting spells (with consequent traumatic injuries), chronic fatigue, and incapacitation, which, when recognized, was remediable in many individuals. His interest in dysautonomia led him to establish, along with Dr. David Robertson and others, the American Autonomic Society, of which he was a President. This was the forerunner of the National Dysautonomia Research Foundation. He was also a charter member of the American Society of Hypertension and the American College of Clinical Pharmacology and Chemotherapy. He was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and of the National Council for High Blood Pressure Research and served on many editorial boards. This year, the International Dysautonomia Foundation presented him with their lifetime achievement award. He was a member of The Endocrine Society, the American Diabetes Association, the International Society of Hypertension, and the American Federation for Medical Research. He had continuous NIH support between 1956 and 1996 and, during most of those years, presented his work at the annual meetings of The Endocrine Society. Dr. Streeten was one of the nation's premier physician investigators in endocrinology, blood pressure, and autonomic disorders and emphasized areas of study that promoted understanding and appreciation of these entities by a skeptical medical establishment. His curriculum vitae included 227 publications. Dr. Streeten was a mentor for generations of medical students, house officers, and fellows, many of whom have distinguished themselves in the field of endocrinology. He was a role model for patient-oriented researchers. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Streeten's achievements grew out of personal qualities, including empathy with and attention to the patient. He listened to what patients told him, believed them, and sought to understand their illnesses. For many patients, this empathy was a powerful solace in coping with diseases that few physicians were interested in and fewer yet understood. His desire to help these patients helped guide his clinical investigations for over 40 yr. Dr. Streeten leaves behind his wife, Dr. Barbara W. Streeten, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology, SUNY Upstate Medical University; his daughter, Dr. Elizabeth A. Streeten, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, University of Maryland; his sons Robert D. Streeten, high school history teacher and lacrosse coach, and John P. Streeten, CEO of New World APPS; and seven grandchildren.

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