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
Lin H, van Setten J, Smith AV, Bihlmeyer NA, Warren HR, Brody JA, Radmanesh F, Hall L, Grarup N, Müller-Nurasyid M, Boutin T, Verweij N, Lin HJ, Li-Gao R, van den Berg ME, Marten J, Weiss S, Prins BP, Haessler J, Lyytikäinen LP, Mei H, Harris TB, Launer LJ, Li M, Alonso A, Soliman EZ, Connell JM, Huang PL, Weng LC, Jameson HS, Hucker W, Hanley A, Tucker NR, Chen YI, Bis JC, Rice KM, Sitlani CM, Kors JA, Xie Z, Wen C, Magnani JW, Nelson CP, Kanters JK, Sinner MF, Strauch K, Peters A, Waldenberger M, Meitinger T, Bork-Jensen J, Pedersen O, Linneberg A, Rudan I, de Boer RA, van der Meer P, Yao J, Guo X, Taylor KD, Sotoodehnia N, Rotter JI, Mook-Kanamori DO, Trompet S, Rivadeneira F, Uitterlinden A, Eijgelsheim M, Padmanabhan S, Smith BH, Völzke H, Felix SB, Homuth G, Völker U, Mangino M, Spector TD, Bots ML, Perez M, Kähönen M, Raitakari OT, Gudnason V, Arking DE, Munroe PB, Psaty BM, van Duijn CM, Benjamin EJ, Rosand J, Samani NJ, Hansen T, Kääb S, Polasek O, van der Harst P, Heckbert SR, Jukema JW, Stricker BH, Hayward C, Dörr M, Jamshidi Y, Asselbergs FW, Kooperberg C, Lehtimäki T, Wilson JG, Ellinor PT, Lubitz SA, Isaacs A. Common and rare coding genetic variation underlying the electrocardiographic PR interval. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2018;11(5):e002037. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGEN.117.002037. PubMed
Wei WQ, Li X, Feng Q, Kubo M, Kullo IJ, Peissig PL, Karlson EW, Jarvik GP, Lee MTM, Shang N, Larson EA, Edwards T, Shaffer C, Mosley JD, Maeda S, Horikoshi M, Ritchie M, Williams MS, Larson EB, Crosslin DR, Bland ST, Pacheco JA, Rasmussen-Torvik LJ, Cronkite D, Hripcsak G, Cox NJ, Wilke RA, Stein CM, Rotter JI, Momozawa Y, Roden DM, Krauss RM, Denny JC. LPA variants are associated with residual cardiovascular risk in patients receiving statins. Circulation. 2018 Oct 23;138(17):1839-1849. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.031356. PubMed
Emdin CA, Khera AV, Chaffin M, Klarin D, Natarajan P, Aragam K, Haas M, Bick A, Zekavat SM, Nomura A, Ardissino D, Wilson JG, Schunkert H, McPherson R, Watkins H, Elosua R, Bown MJ, Samani NJ, Baber U, Erdmann J, Gupta N, Danesh J, Chasman D, Ridker P, Denny J, Bastarache L, Lichtman JH, D'Onofrio G, Mattera J, Spertus JA, Sheu WH, Taylor KD, Psaty BM, Rich SS, Post W, Rotter JI, Chen YI, Krumholz H, Saleheen D, Gabriel S, Kathiresan S. Analysis of predicted loss-of-function variants in UK Biobank identifies variants protective for disease. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):1613. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03911-8. PubMed
Wong JYY, Margolis HG, Machiela M, Zhou W, Odden MC, Psaty BM, Robbins J, Jones RR, Rotter JI, Chanock SJ, Rothman N, Lan Q, Lee JS. Outdoor air pollution and mosaic loss of chromosome Y in older men from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Environ Int. 2018 Apr 23;116:239-247. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.030. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Wood AM, Kaptoge S, Butterworth AS, Willeit P, Warnakula S, Bolton T, Paige E, Paul DS, Sweeting M, Burgess S, Bell S, Astle W, Stevens D, Koulman A, Selmer RM, Verschuren WMM, Sato S, Njølstad I, Woodward M, Salomaa V, Nordestgaard BG, Yeap BB, Fletcher A, Melander O, Kuller LH, Balkau B, Marmot M, Koenig W, Casiglia E, Cooper C, Arndt V, Franco OH, Wennberg P, Gallacher J, de la Cámara AG, Völzke H, Dahm CC, Dale CE, Bergmann MM, Crespo CJ, van der Schouw YT, Kaaks R, Simons LA, Lagiou P, Schoufour JD, Boer JMA, Key TJ, Rodriguez B, Moreno-Iribas C, Davidson KW, Taylor JO, Sacerdote C, Wallace RB, Quiros JR, Tumino R, Blazer DG 2nd, Linneberg A, Daimon M, Panico S, Howard B, Skeie G, Strandberg T, Weiderpass E, Nietert PJ, Psaty BM, Kromhout D, Salamanca-Fernandez E, Kiechl S, Krumholz HM, Grioni S, Palli D, Huerta JM, Price J, Sundström J, Arriola L, Arima H, Travis RC, Panagiotakos DB, Karakatsani A, Trichopoulou A, Kühn T, Grobbee DE, Barrett-Connor E, van Schoor N, Boeing H, Overvad K, Kauhanen J, Wareham N, Langenberg C, Forouhi N, Wennberg M, Després JP, Cushman M, Cooper JA, Rodriguez CJ, Sakurai M, Shaw JE, Knuiman M, Voortman T, Meisinger C, Tjønneland A, Brenner H, Palmieri L, Dallongeville J, Brunner EJ, Assmann G, Trevisan M, Gillum RF, Ford I, Sattar N, Lazo M, Thompson SG, Ferrari P, Leon DA, Smith GD, Peto R, Jackson R, Banks E, Di Angelantonio E, Danesh J, Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration/EPIC-CVD/UK Biobank Alcohol Study Group. Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599 912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies. Lancet. 2018 Apr 14;391(10129):1513-1523. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30134-X. 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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Hypertension headache: Medical myth or true health concern?
AARP, June 3, 2024
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