As the world’s population is aging, scientists at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) are at the forefront of research to help older adults lead healthier lives.
Among the questions KPWHRI scientists have examined include whether getting regular exercise may reduce the risk of dementia, whether widely used medications increase the risk of falls and fractures, how long-term use of opioid pain medications affects the brain, and what approaches can help frail older adults become more physically active. Our research includes studies looking at brain health, physical activity and behavior change, medication safety, cardiovascular health, and chronic disease management, among other research areas. Now, new funding for aging research — especially research on Alzheimer’s and related dementias — offers even greater opportunities for KPWHRI scientists and their colleagues who work in health care systems.
Studies spanning decades
The institute has hosted several long-running cohort studies, including the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Study, a collaboration with the University of Washington. For more than 30 years, ACT researchers have studied risk factors for dementia, with the goal of finding new ways to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.
In May 2021, the National Institute of Aging awarded ACT a new grant totaling $55.6 million. With this additional funding, ACT will further examine how various health factors across our life span can impact later-life heart and brain health. The funding will allow ACT to examine the health impacts of sleep, physical activity, socio-economic factors, and prescription medications, as well as to examine brain imaging. In addition, ACT will continue to collect and study participants’ brains after their deaths to better understand how brain physiology is impacted by lifestyle factors.
Under the 5-year grant, ACT partners are expanding the existing cohort of 2,000 Kaiser Permanente Washington members to 3,000 and implementing new strategies to recruit a more diverse population. Additionally, as part of the grant, the ACT team is making its data more accessible to researchers nationwide. You can find out more about the ACT Study and collaborate with the team at www.actagingresearch.org.
Wide-ranging research
Scientists at KPWHRI are advancing age-related research in many other areas as well. Some highlights:
Larson EB, Langa KM. What's the "take home" from research on dementia trends? PLoS Med. 2017 Mar 7;14(3):e1002236. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002236. eCollection 2017 Mar 7. PubMed
Dublin S, Walker RL, Gray S, Hubbard RA, Anderson ML, Yu O, Montine TJ, Crane PK, Sonnen JA, Larson EB. Use of analgesics (opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and dementia related neuropathology in a community-based autopsy cohort. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017;58(2):435-448. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160374. PubMed
Fardo D, Gibbons LE, Mukherjee S, Glymour MM, McCormick W, McCurry SM, Bowen JD, Larson EB, Crane PK. Impact of home visit capacity on genetic association studies of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2017 Feb 18. pii: S1552-5260(17)30018-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.01.012. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Postupna N, Latimer CS, Larson EB, Sherfield E, Paladin J, Shively CA, Jorgensen MJ, Andrews RN, Kaplan JR, Crane PK, Montine KS, Craft S, Keene CD, Montine TJ. Human striatal dopaminergic and regional serotonergic synaptic degeneration with lewy body disease and inheritance of Apoe Epsilon4. Am J Pathol. 2017 Apr;187(4):884-895. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.12.010. Epub 2017 Feb 16. PubMed
Jackson ML, Walker R, Lee S, Larson E, Dublin S. Reply to: quality indicators of drug use and the risk of pneumonia in older adults without dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 Feb 7. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14736. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
Dori E. Rosenberg, PhD, MPHSenior Investigator |
Erin J. Bowles, MPHDirector, Collaborative Science |
Ellen O'Meara, PhDPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
Melissa L. Anderson, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
Rod L. Walker, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssociate Scientific Investigator |
Katie Coleman, MSPHDirector, ACT Center |
Robert Penfold, PhDSenior Investigator |
Marlaine Figueroa Gray, PhDAssistant Investigator |
Ben Balderson, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
Jennifer C. Nelson, PhDDirector, Biostatistics; Senior Investigator |
Onchee Yu, MSPrincipal Collaborative Biostatistician |
Jessica Chubak, PhDSenior Investigator |
Yu-Ru Su, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
Chloe Krakauer, PhDCollaborative Biostatistician |
Karen Wernli, PhDSenior Investigator |
Mikael Anne Greenwood-Hickman, MPHSenior Collaborative Scientist |
Brian D. Williamson, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
Pamela A. Shaw, PhD, MSSenior Biostatistics Investigator |
Nicole M. Gatto, PhD, MPHPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
Linda K. McEvoy, PhDSenior Investigator |
Lily N. Shapiro, PhDCollaborative Scientist |
James Bowen, MD
Neurologist
Swedish Medical Center
Paul Crane, MD, MPH
Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Washington
David R. Crosslin, PhD
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education
Adjunct Faculty
Genome Sciences, Division of Medical Genetics
University of Washington
Kristen Dams-O'Connor, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
James Floyd, MD, MS
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Shelly Gray, PharmD, MS, AGSF
Professor, Department of Pharmacy
University of Washington
Gail Jarvik, MD, PhD
Professor, Medical Genetics, Genome Sciences, Department of Medicine
University of Washington
Dirk Keene, MD, PhD
Department of Pathology
Harborview Medical Center
Zachary A. Marcum, PhD, PharmD
Assistant Professor, School of Pharmacy
University of Washington
Wayne McCormick, MD, MPH
Head of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
UW Medicine
Sue McCurry, PhD
Research Professor, Psychosocial and Community Health
University of Washington
Elizabeth Phelan, MD, MS
Associate Professor, Medicine/Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine
Harborview Medical Center
Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Services
University of Washington
Janelle S. Taylor, PhD
Professor, Department of Anthropology
University of Toronto
Linda Teri, PhD
Professor, Psychosocial & Community Health
Director, Northwest Research Group on Aging, Psychosocial and Community Health
University of Washington
Oleg Zaslavsky, PhD, MHA, RN
Assistant Professor Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems Department
Associate Director of Research, de Tornyay Center for Health Aging
School of Nursing, University of Washington