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, irregular heartbeats, deep-vein blood clots, and other cardiovascular diseases.
“We’re studying how genes, medications, and everyday choices influence cardiovascular health,” says Bruce M. Psaty, MD, PhD, KPWHRI senior investigator and co-director of the University of Washington Cardiovascular Health Research Unit. “One of our goals is to know when people are especially susceptible to either the benefits or risks of a drug, so they receive the safest and most effective therapies."
Beverly B. Green, MD, MPH, senior investigator, is finding simple, practical, innovative ways to help people control their blood pressure. “We’ve found that helping patients and health care teams work together on personalized care plans is the best path to lifelong heart health,” she says.
Kaiser Permanente Washington cardiovascular research includes studies by:
- Sascha Dublin, MD, PhD, senior investigator, on how drugs may be associated with cardiovascular disease;
- Dr. Green, on simple, practical, innovative ways to help control blood pressure;
- Laura B. Harrington, PhD, MPH, assistant investigator, on the relation between modifiable risk factors and cardiovascular event risk, particularly the risk of venous blood clots; and
- Dr. Psaty, on genetic, proteomic, pharmacologic, and new or emerging risk factors for cardiovascular events.
Recent publications on Cardiovascular Health
Pase MP, Psaty BM, Satizabal CL, Seshadri S, Skoog I, Stephan BCM, Wetterberg H, Wong MM, Zettergren A, Hofman A. Characterization of cardiac mechanics and incident atrial fibrillation in participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study. Neurology. 2020 Aug 4;95(5):e519-e531. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010022. Epub 2020 Jul 1. PubMed
Wolters FJ, Chibnik LB, Waziry R, Anderson R, Berr C, Beiser A, Bis JC, Blacker D, Bos D, Brayne C, Dartigues JF, Darweesh SK, Davis-Plourde KL, de Wolf F, Debette S, Dufouil C, Fornage M, Goudsmit J, Grasset L, Gudnason V, Hadjichrysanthou C, Helmer C, Ikram MA, Ikram MK, Joas E, Kern S, Kuller LH, Launer L, Lopez O, Matthews FE, McRae-McKee K, Meirelles O, Mosley TH Jr, Pase MP, Psaty BM, Satizabal CL, Seshadri S, Skoog I, Stephan BC, Wetterberg H, Wong MM, Zettergren A, Hofman A. 27-year time trends in dementia incidence in Europe and the US: the Alzheimer Cohorts Consortium. Neurology. 2020 Jul 1:10.1212/WNL.0000000000010022. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010022. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Harding BN, Wiggins KL, Jensen PN, McKnight B, Psaty BM, Heckbert SR, Floyd JS. Opioid, gabapentinoid, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication use and the risks of atrial fibrillation and supraventricular ectopy in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2020 Jun 17. doi: 10.1002/pds.5036. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Whelton SP, McEvoy JW, Shaw L, Psaty BM, Lima JAC, Budoff M, Nasir K, Szklo M, Blumenthal RS, Blaha MJ. Association of normal systolic blood pressure level with cardiovascular disease in the absence of risk factors. JJAMA Cardiol. 2020 Sep 1;5(9):1011-1018. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1731.JAMA Cardiol. 2020 Sep 1;5(9):1011-1018. doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1731. PubMed
Wang Z, Chen H, Bartz TM, Bielak LF, Chasman DI, Feitosa MF, Franceschini N, Guo X, Lim E, Noordam R, Richard MA, Wang H, Cade B, Cupples LA, de Vries PS, Giulanini F, Lee J, Lemaitre RN, Martin LW, Reiner AP, Rich SS, Schreiner PJ, Sidney S, Sitlani CM, Smith JA, Willems van Dijk K, Yao J, Zhao W, Fornage M, Kardia SLR, Kooperberg C, Liu CT, Mook-Kanamori DO, Province MA, Psaty BM, Redline S, Ridker PM, Rotter JI, Boerwinkle E, Morrison AC. Role of rare and low-frequency variants in gene-alcohol interactions on plasma lipid levels. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2020 Jun 8. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGEN.119.002772. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Researchers in Cardiovascular Health
 Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Beverly B. Green, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
 Aruna Kamineni, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
 Ellen O'Meara, PhDResearch Associate |
 Jennifer C. Nelson, PhDDirector of Biostatistics; Senior Investigator |
 Michael L. Parchman, MD, MPHSenior Investigator, MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation |
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
NEWS
New research identifies flaws in hypertension diagnoses
KPWHRI investigator’s recent AHA presentations highlight problems in blood pressure readings.
improving care
Partnership with rural-health experts aims to improve heart care
Healthy Hearts Northwest is helping patients receive better care for cardiovascular conditions thanks to collaborators like Dr. L.J. Fagnan.
profile
Heart health researcher Laura B. Harrington joins KPWHRI
KPWHRI gains an expert in studying cardiovascular diseases, including venous blood clots, especially in women and older adults.
healthy findings blog
How a physician-scientist studying blood pressure became a patient too
Dr. Beverly Green, PCORI-funded BP-CHECK leader, reflects on her professional interest in hypertension getting up close and personal
Read it in Healthy Findings.
KPWHRI IN THE MEDIA
Cardiovascular disease-related hospital admissions jump on second day after major snowfall
Heart hospitalizations may spike days after snowstorms pass
Reuters (syndicated), Jan. 30, 2017
