Robert Platt, Baron Platt
Encyclopedia
Robert Platt, Baron Platt (1900–1978), was a British
physician
.
His research was on kidney diseases, but he is remembered for the 1940-1950s Platt vs. Pickering debate with George Pickering over the nature of hypertension
. Platt's position was that hypertension was a simple disease caused by perhaps just one genetic
defect, and he presented evidence of its autosomal dominant inheritance and a bimodal distribution of blood pressures, indicating that hypertensives were a distinct subpopulation in humans. In contrast, Pickering's viewpoint was that blood pressures varied continuously and unimodally, with hypertensives representing the upper end of the bell curve. Though Platt's view was favoured during his lifetime, Pickering's view ultimately dominated and is the basis of current understanding and treatment policies.
During his lifetime, Platt held the salaried position of head of the Central Manchester
Health Authority, and he later (1957–1961) became the president of the Royal College of Physicians
.
On 14 July 1959 be was made Baronet Platt of Grindleford. On 16 January 1967 he was created a life peer
as Baron Platt, of Grindleford, in the County of Derby. On his death the baronetcy was inherited by his son: the life peerage became extinct.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
.
His research was on kidney diseases, but he is remembered for the 1940-1950s Platt vs. Pickering debate with George Pickering over the nature of hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
. Platt's position was that hypertension was a simple disease caused by perhaps just one genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
defect, and he presented evidence of its autosomal dominant inheritance and a bimodal distribution of blood pressures, indicating that hypertensives were a distinct subpopulation in humans. In contrast, Pickering's viewpoint was that blood pressures varied continuously and unimodally, with hypertensives representing the upper end of the bell curve. Though Platt's view was favoured during his lifetime, Pickering's view ultimately dominated and is the basis of current understanding and treatment policies.
During his lifetime, Platt held the salaried position of head of the Central Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Health Authority, and he later (1957–1961) became the president of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
.
On 14 July 1959 be was made Baronet Platt of Grindleford. On 16 January 1967 he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Platt, of Grindleford, in the County of Derby. On his death the baronetcy was inherited by his son: the life peerage became extinct.