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
Floyd JS, Blondon M, Moore KP, Boyko EJ, Smith NL. Validation of methods for assessing cardiovascular disease using electronic health data in a cohort of Veterans with diabetes. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2016 Apr;25(4):467-71. doi: 10.1002/pds.3921. Epub 2015 Nov 11. PubMed
Floyd JS, Wiggins KL, Christiansen M, Dublin S, Longstreth WT, Smith NL, McKnight B, Heckbert SR, Weiss NS, Psaty BM. Case-control study of oral glucose-lowering drugs in combination with long-acting insulin and the risks of incident myocardial infarction and incident stroke. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2015 Nov 8. doi: 10.1002/pds.3914. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Smith DH, Johnson ES, Boudreau DM, Cassidy-Bushrow AE, Fortmann SP, Greenlee RT, Gurwitz JH, Magid DJ, McNeal CJ, Reynolds K, Steinhubl SR, Thorp M, Tom JO, Vupputuri S, VanWormer JJ, Weinstein J, Yang X, Go AS, Sidney S. Comparative effectiveness of statin therapy in chronic kidney disease and acute myocardial infarction: a retrospective cohort study. Am J Med. 2015 Nov;128(11):1252.e1-1252.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.06.030. Epub 2015 Jul 11. PubMed
Bis JC, Sitlani C, Irvin R, Avery CL, Smith AV, Sun F, Evans DS, Musani SK, Li X, Trompet S, Krijthe BP, Harris TB, Quibrera PM, Brody JA, Demissie S, Davis BR, Wiggins KL, Tranah GJ, Lange LA, Sotoodehnia N, Stott DJ, Franco OH, Launer LJ, Sturmer T, Taylor KD, Cupples LA, Eckfeldt JH, Smith NL, Liu Y, Wilson JG, Heckbert SR, Buckley BM, Ikram MA, Boerwinkle E, Chen YD, de Craen AJ, Uitterlinden AG, Rotter JI, Ford I, Hofman A, Sattar N, Slagboom PE, Westendorp RG, Gudnason V, Vasan RS, Lumley T, Cummings SR, Taylor HA Jr, Post W, Jukema JW, Stricker BH, Whitsel EA, Psaty BM, Arnett D. Drug-gene interactions of antihypertensive medications and risk of incident cardiovascular disease: a pharmacogenomics study from the charge consortium. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 30;10(10):e0140496. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140496. eCollection 2015. PubMed
Olson NC, Doyle MF, de Boer IH, Huber SA, Jenny NS, Kronmal RA, Psaty BM, Tracy RP. Associations of circulating lymphocyte subpopulations with type 2 diabetes: cross-sectional results from the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA). PLoS One. 2015 Oct 12;10(10):e0139962. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139962. 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
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KPWHRI in the media
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AARP, June 3, 2024
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