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
Liu CT, Raghavan S, Maruthur N, Kabagambe EK, Hong J, Ng MC, Hivert MF, Lu Y, An P, Bentley AR, Drolet AM, Gaulton KJ, Guo X, Armstrong LL, Irvin MR, Li M, Lipovich L, Rybin DV, Taylor KD, Agyemang C, Palmer ND, Cade BE, Chen WM, Dauriz M, Delaney JA+++. Trans-ethnic Meta-analysis and Functional Annotation Illuminates the Genetic Architecture of Fasting Glucose and Insulin. Am J Hum Genet. 2016;99(1):56-75. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.05.006. Epub 2016 Jun 16. PubMed
Chami N, Chen MH, Slater AJ, Eicher JD, Evangelou E, Tajuddin SM, Love-Gregory L, Kacprowski T, Schick UM, Nomura A, Giri A, Lessard S, Brody JA, Schurmann C, Pankratz N, Yanek LR, Manichaikul A, Pazoki R, Mihailov E, Hill WD, Raffield LM, Burt A, Bartz TM, Becker DM, Becker LC, Boerwinkle E, Bork-Jensen J, Bottinger EP, O'Donoghue ML, Crosslin DR, de Denus S, Dubé MP, Elliott P, Engström G, Evans MK, Floyd JS, Fornage M, Gao H, Greinacher A, Gudnason V, Hansen T, Harris TB, Hayward C, Hernesniemi J, Highland HM, Hirschhorn JN, Hofman A, Irvin MR, Kähönen M, Lange E, Launer LJ, Lehtimäki T, Li J, Liewald DC, Linneberg A, Liu Y, Lu Y, Lyytikäinen LP, Mägi R, Mathias RA, Melander O, Metspalu A, Mononen N, Nalls MA, Nickerson DA, Nikus K, O'Donnell CJ, Orho-Melander M, Pedersen O, Petersmann A, Polfus L, Psaty BM, Raitakari OT, Raitoharju E, Richard M, Rice KM, Rivadeneira F, Rotter JI, Schmidt F, Smith AV, Starr JM, Taylor KD, Teumer A, Thuesen BH, Torstenson ES, Tracy RP, Tzoulaki I, Zakai NA, Vacchi-Suzzi C, van Duijn CM, van Rooij FJ, Cushman M, Deary IJ, Velez Edwards DR, Vergnaud AC, Wallentin L, Waterworth DM, White HD, Wilson JG, Zonderman AB, Kathiresan S, Grarup N, Esko T, Loos RJ, Lange LA, Faraday N, Abumrad NA, Edwards TL, Ganesh SK, Auer PL, Johnson AD, Reiner AP, Lettre G. Exome genotyping identifies pleiotropic variants associated with red blood cell traits. Am J Hum Genet. 2016;99(1):8-21. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.05.007. Epub 2016 Jun 23. PubMed
Roberts JD, Hu D, Heckbert SR, Alonso A, Dewland TA, Vittinghoff E, Liu Y, Psaty BM, Olgin JE, Magnani JW, Huntsman S, Burchard EG, Arking DE, Bibbins-Domingo K, Harris TB, Perez MV, Ziv E, Marcus GM. Genetic investigation into the differential risk of atrial fibrillation among Black and White individuals. JAMA Cardiol. 2016;1(4):442-50. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2016.1185. PubMed
Sung YJ, Winkler TW, Manning AK, Aschard H, Gudnason V, Harris TB, Smith AV, Boerwinkle E, Brown MR, Morrison AC, Fornage M, Lin LA, Richard M, Bartz TM, Psaty BM, Hayward C, Polasek O, Marten J, Rudan I, Feitosa MF, Kraja AT, Province MA, Deng X, Fisher VA, Zhou Y, Bielak LF, Smith J, Huffman JE, Padmanabhan S, Smith BH, Ding J, Liu Y, Lohman K, Bouchard C, Rankinen T, Rice TK, Arnett D, Schwander K, Guo X, Palmas W, Rotter JI, Alfred T, Bottinger EP, Loos RJ, Amin N, Franco OH, van Duijn CM, Vojinovic D, Chasman DI, Ridker PM, Rose LM, Kardia S, Zhu X, Rice K, Borecki IB, Rao DC, Gauderman WJ, Cupples LA. An empirical comparison of joint and stratified frameworks for studying G x E interactions: systolic blood pressure and smoking in the CHARGE gene-lifestyle interactions working group. Genet Epidemiol. 2016;40(5):404-15. doi: 10.1002/gepi.21978. Epub 2016 May 27. PubMed
van Loon J, Dehghan A, Weihong T, Trompet S, McArdle WL, Asselbergs FF, Chen MH, Lopez LM, Huffman JE, Leebeek FW, Basu S, Stott DJ, Rumley A, Gansevoort RT, Davies G, Wilson JJ, Witteman JC, Cao X, de Craen AJ, Bakker SJ, Psaty BM, Starr JM, Hofman A, Wouter Jukema J, Deary IJ, Hayward C, van der Harst P, Lowe GD, Folsom AR, Strachan DP, Smith N, de Maat MP, O'Donnell C. Genome-wide association studies identify genetic loci for low von Willebrand factor levels. Eur J Hum Genet. 2015 Oct 21. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2015.222. [Epub ahead of print].
Researchers in Cardiovascular Health
 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 |
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 researchers uncover obstacles faced by smaller practices when adding CVD risk calculators into primary care.
KPWHRI in the media
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Hypertension headache: Medical myth or true health concern?
AARP, June 3, 2024
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