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):
Weiner SD, Ahmed HN, Jin Z, Cushman M, Herrington DM, Nelson JC, Di Tullio MR, Homma S. Systemic inflammation and brachial artery endothelial function in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Heart. 2014 Jun;100(11):862-6. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2013-304893. Epub 2014 Apr 8. PubMed
Bruzelius M, Strawbridge RJ, Trégouët DA, Wiggins KL, Gertow K, Sabater-Lleal M, Ohrvik J, Bergendal A, Silveira A, Sundström A, Kieler H, Syvänen AC, Smith NL, Morange PE, Odeberg J, Hamsten A. Influence of coronary artery disease-associated genetic variants on risk of venous thromboembolism. Thromb Res. 2014 Aug;134(2):426-32. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2014.03.054. Epub 2014 Apr 4. PubMed
Morales LS, Flores YN, Leng M, Sportiche N, Gallegos-Carrillo K, Salmeron J. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease among Mexican-American adults in the United States and Mexico: a comparative study. Salud Publica Mex. 2014;56(2):197-205. PubMed
Burkart KM, Manichaikul A, Wilk JB, Ahmed FS, Burke GL, Enright P, Hansel NN, Haynes D, Heckbert SR, Hoffman EA, Kaufman JD, Kurai J, Loehr L, London SJ, Meng Y, O'Connor GT, Oelsner E, Petrini M, Pottinger TD, Powell CA, Redline S, Rotter JI, Smith LJ, Soler Artigas M, Tobin MD, Tsai MY, Watson K, White W, Young TR, Rich SS, Barr RG. APOM and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are associated with lung function and per cent emphysema. Eur Respir J. 2014;43(4):1003-17. doi: 10.1183/09031936.00147612. Epub 2013 Jul 30. PubMed
Green BB, Anderson ML, Cook AJ, Catz SL, Fishman PA, McClure JB, Reid RJ. E-care for heart wellness: a feasibility trial to decrease blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. Am J Prev Med. 2014;46(4):368-77. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2013.11.009. PubMed
Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
Beverly B. Green, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
Ellen O'Meara, PhDPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
Nicole M. Gatto, PhD, MPHPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
Meagan C. Brown, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
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