Cardiovascular Health
“One in four deaths in the United States is attributed to heart disease. Our researchers study how behavior, environment, and genetics affect heart health and how screening and treatment can reduce risk.”
Research overview
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans. Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) scientists are working to understand how to reduce our risk of heart attacks, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases throughout life.
Addressing risk factors, improving diagnosis, and exploring how medications, genes, and everyday life affect our cardiovascular health at different ages and stages are central to this work — as is translating research findings into practical, personalized care.
“We’ve found that helping patients and health care teams work together on personalized care plans is the best path to lifelong heart health,” says Beverly Green, MD, MPH, whose recent work has focused on improving the diagnosis of high blood pressure.
Additional focus areas for KPWHRI scientists include exploring the impact of cardiovascular diseases on other health conditions — and vice versa. Recently, this has led researchers Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD, and Laura B. Harrington, PhD, MPH, to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health.
Below are other research highlights from KPWHRI’s cardiovascular health scientists (please visit their bios to learn more):
- In 2016 Dr. Green, a senior investigator, launched the BP-CHECK study, which aims to find the easiest, most accurate way to diagnose high blood pressure. With a $2.8 million award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the study compares blood pressure readings taken in clinic, at home, and at validated blood pressure kiosks to the 24-hour blood pressure test that is currently considered the gold standard for diagnosing hypertension.
- Dr. Dublin, a senior investigator, explores many different facets of cardiovascular disease in her work, including risk factors for atrial fibrillation, the effect of medications on cardiovascular disease, and the relationship between cardiovascular disease and other conditions, such as dementia. Managing cardiovascular risk factors in pregnancy — such as high blood pressure and diabetes — is a particular interest.
- Dr. Harrington, an assistant investigator, is a cardiovascular epidemiologist whose research aims to improve understanding of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, particularly among older women. Currently, she is leading a study exploring the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and the risk of venous thromboembolism (blood clots that form predominantly in the veins of the legs or lungs). In addition to this work, Dr. Harrington conducts research in the areas of recurrent cardiovascular event risk, cardiovascular health in relation to cognitive decline and dementia risk in later life, and pharmacologic exposures in relation to cardiovascular event risk, with a particular focus on risk factors for venous thromboembolism.
- Senior Investigator Michael L. Parchman, MD, MPH, focuses on implementing evidence-based cardiovascular disease care into primary care settings. He led the 4-year Healthy Hearts Northwest trial, an EvidenceNOW initiative that helped smaller primary care practices in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho adopt evidence-based approaches to improving cardiovascular care outcomes. The trial continues to produce findings of importance.
- The work of Ellen O'Meara, PhD, a senior research associate, centers on the epidemiology of common and important health conditions in the United States, including cardiovascular disease. Her collaborative research has included studies exploring the risk factors and outcomes of heart disease and stroke. Recent work includes research on quality improvement aimed at controlling hypertension at small primary care practices.
Recent publications on Cardiovascular Health
Robinson-Cohen C, Bartz TM, Lai D, Ikizler TA, Peacock M, Imel EA, Michos ED, Foroud TM, Akesson K, Taylor KD, Malmgren L, Matsushita K, Nethander M, Eriksson J, Ohlsson C, Mellstrom D, Wolf M, Ljunggren O, McGuigan F, Rotter JI, Karlsson M, Econs MJ+++. Genetic Variants Associated with Circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor 23. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2018 Oct;29(10):2583-2592. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2018020192. Epub 2018 Sep 14. PubMed
Suri P, Palmer MR, Tsepilov YA, Freidin MB, Boer CG, Yau MS, Evans DS, Gelemanovic A, Bartz TM, Nethander M, Arbeeva L, Karssen L, Neogi T, Campbell A, Mellstrom D, Ohlsson C, Marshall LM, Orwoll E, Uitterlinden A, Rotter JI, Lauc G, Psaty BM, Karlsson MK, Lane NE, Jarvik GP, Polasek O, Hochberg M, Jordan JM, Van Meurs JBJ, Jackson R, Nielson CM, Mitchell BD, Smith BH, Hayward C, Smith NL, Aulchenko YS, Williams FMK. Genome-wide meta-analysis of 158,000 individuals of European ancestry identifies three loci associated with chronic back pain. PLoS Genet. 2018 27;14(9):e1007601. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007601. eCollection 2018 Sep. PubMed
Ashar FN, Mitchell RN, Albert CM, Newton-Cheh C, Brody JA, Müller-Nurasyid M, Moes A, Meitinger T, Mak A, Huikuri H, Junttila MJ, Goyette P, Pulit SL, Pazoki R, Tanck MW, Blom MT, Zhao X, Havulinna AS, Jabbari R, Glinge C, Tragante V, Escher SA, Chakravarti A, Ehret G, Coresh J, Li M, Prineas RJ, Franco OH, Kwok PY, Lumley T, Dumas F, McKnight B, Rotter JI, Lemaitre RN, Heckbert SR, O'Donnell CJ, Hwang SJ, Tardif JC, VanDenburgh M, Uitterlinden AG, Hofman A, Stricker BHC, de Bakker PIW, Franks PW, Jansson JH, Asselbergs FW, Halushka MK, Maleszewski JJ, Tfelt-Hansen J, Engstrøm T, Salomaa V, Virmani R, Kolodgie F, Wilde AAM, Tan HL, Bezzina CR, Eijgelsheim M, Rioux JD, Jouven X, Kääb S, Psaty BM, Siscovick DS, Arking DE, Sotoodehnia N, SCD working group of the CHARGE Consortium. A comprehensive evaluation of the genetic architecture of sudden cardiac arrest. Eur Heart J. 2018 Aug 28. pii: 5086126. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy474. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Bis JC, Jian X, Kunkle BW, Chen Y, Hamilton-Nelson KL, Bush WS, Salerno WJ, Lancour D, Ma Y, Renton AE, Marcora E, Farrell JJ, Zhao Y, Qu L, Ahmad S, Amin N, Amouyel P, Beecham GW, Below JE, Campion D, Charbonnier C, Chung J, Crane PK, Cruchaga C, Cupples LA, Dartigues JF, Debette S, Deleuze JF, Fulton L, Gabriel SB, Genin E, Gibbs RA, Goate A, Grenier-Boley B, Gupta N, Haines JL, Havulinna AS, Helisalmi S, Hiltunen M, Howrigan DP, Ikram MA, Kaprio J, Konrad J, Kuzma A, Lander ES, Lathrop M, Lehtimäki T, Lin H, Mattila K, Mayeux R, Muzny DM, Nasser W, Neale B, Nho K, Nicolas G, Patel D, Pericak-Vance MA, Perola M, Psaty BM, Quenez O, Rajabli F, Redon R, Reitz C, Remes AM, Salomaa V, Sarnowski C, Schmidt H, Schmidt M, Schmidt R, Soininen H, Thornton TA, Tosto G, Tzourio C, van der Lee SJ, van Duijn CM, Vardarajan B, Wang W, Wijsman E, Wilson RK, Witten D, Worley KC, Zhang X; Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project, Bellenguez C, Lambert JC, Kurki MI, Palotie A, Daly M, Boerwinkle E, Lunetta KL, Destefano AL, Dupuis J, Martin ER, Schellenberg GD, Seshadri S, Naj AC, Fornage M, Farrer LA. Whole exome sequencing study identifies novel rare and common Alzheimer's-associated variants involved in immune response and transcriptional regulation. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Aug 14. doi: 10.1038/s41380-018-0112-7. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Wopereis DM, Du Puy RS, van Heemst D, Walsh JP, Bremner A, Bakker SJL, Bauer DC, Cappola AR, Ceresini G, Degryse J, Dullaart RPF, Feller M, Ferrucci L, Floriani C, Franco OH, Iacoviello M, Iervasi G, Imaizumi M, Jukema JW, Khaw KT, Luben RN, Molinaro S, Nauck M, Patel KV, Peeters RP, Psaty BM, Razvi S, Schindhelm RK, van Schoor NM, Stott DJ, Vaes B, Vanderpump MPJ, Völzke H, Westendorp RGJ, Rodondi N, Cobbaert CM, Gussekloo J, den Elzen WPJ, Thyroid Studies Collaboration. The relation between thyroid function and anemia: a pooled analysis of individual participant data. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Oct 1;103(10):3658-3667. doi: 10.1210/jc.2018-00481. PubMed
Researchers in Cardiovascular Health
 Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Beverly B. Green, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssociate Investigator |
 Ellen O'Meara, PhDPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
 Nicole M. Gatto, PhD, MPHPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
 Meagan C. Brown, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
Affiliate researchers
James Floyd, MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology
University of Washington
Susan Heckbert, MD, PhD
University of Washington (UW) Department of Epidemiology; UW Cardiovascular Health Research Unit
Nicholas L. Smith, PhD, MPH
UW Professor, Epidemiology, Cardiovascular Health Research Unit
Director, Seattle Epidemiology and Information Resource Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System
Research
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Home blood pressure monitoring shown to be an excellent alternative for making new diagnoses of hypertension.
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There’s no place like home … to track blood pressure
Research led by KPWHRI’s Beverly Green, MD, MPH, finds that patients prefer at-home monitoring of blood pressure.
Research
CVD risk calculation: Can smaller clinics break through?
KPWHRI researchers uncover obstacles faced by smaller practices when adding CVD risk calculators into primary care.
KPWHRI in the media
Understanding high blood pressure
Hypertension headache: Medical myth or true health concern?
AARP, June 3, 2024
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