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
Musunuru K, Lettre G, Young T, Farlow DN, Pirruccello JP, Ejebe KG, Keating BJ, Yang Q, Chen MH, Lapchyk N, Crenshaw A, Ziaugra L, Rachupka A, Benjamin EJ, Cupples LA, Fornage M, Fox ER, Heckbert SR, Hirschhorn JN, Newton-Cheh CH, Nizzari MM, Paltoo DN, Papanicolaou GJ, Patel SR, Psaty BM, Rader DJ, Redline S, Rich SS, Rotter JI, Taylor HA Jr, Tracy RP, Vasan RS, Wilson JG, Kathiresan S, Fabsitz RR, Boerwinkle E, Gabriel SB. Candidate gene association resource (CARe): design, methods, and proof of concept. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2010 Jun 1;3(3):267-75. Epub 2010 Apr 17. PubMed
Nasir K, McClelland RL, Blumenthal RS, Goff DC Jr, Hoffmann U, Psaty BM, Greenland P, Kronmal RA, Budoff MJ. Coronary artery calcium in relation to initiation and continuation of cardiovascular preventive medications: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2010 May;3(3):228-35. Epub 2010 Apr 6. PubMed
Smith NL, Chen MH, Dehghan A, Strachan DP, Basu S, Soranzo N, Hayward C, Rudan I, Sabater-Lleal M, Bis JC, de Maat MP, Rumley A, Kong X, Yang Q, Williams FM, Vitart V, Campbell H, Mälarstig A, Wiggins KL, Van Duijn CM, McArdle WL, Pankow JS, Johnson AD, Silveira A, McKnight B, Uitterlinden AG; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium; Aleksic N, Meigs JB, Peters A, Koenig W, Cushman M, Kathiresan S, Rotter JI, Bovill EG, Hofman A, Boerwinkle E, Tofler GH, Peden JF, Psaty BM, Leebeek F, Folsom AR, Larson MG, Spector TD, Wright AF, Wilson JF, Hamsten A, Lumley T, Witteman JC, Tang W, O'Donnell CJ. Novel associations of multiple genetic loci with plasma levels of factor VII, factor VIII, and von Willebrand factor: The CHARGE (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genome Epidemiology) Consortium. Circulation. 2010;121(12):1382-92. Epub 2010 Mar 15. PubMed
Newman AB, Walter S, Lunetta KL, Garcia ME, Slagboom PE, Christensen K, Arnold AM, Aspelund T, Aulchenko YS, Benjamin EJ, Christiansen L, D'Agostino RB Sr, Fitzpatrick AL, Franceschini N, Glazer NL, Gudnason V, Hofman A, Kaplan R, Karasik D, Kelly-Hayes M, Kiel DP, Launer LJ, Marciante KD, Massaro JM, Miljkovic I, Nalls MA, Hernandez D, Psaty BM, Rivadeneira F, Rotter J, Seshadri S, Smith AV, Taylor KD, Tiemeier H, Uh HW, Uitterlinden AG, Vaupel JW, Walston J, Westendorp RG, Harris TB, Lumley T, van Duijn CM, Murabito JM. A meta-analysis of four genome-wide association studies of survival to age 90 years or older: the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology Consortium. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010;65(5):478-87. Epub 2010 Mar 18. PubMed
Ellinor PT, Lunetta KL, Glazer NL, Pfeufer A, Alonso A, Chung MK, Sinner MF, de Bakker PI, Mueller M, Lubitz SA, Fox E, Darbar D, Smith NL, Smith JD, Schnabel RB, Soliman EZ, Rice KM, Van Wagoner DR, Beckmann BM, van Noord C, Wang K, Ehret GB, Rotter JI, Hazen SL, Steinbeck G, Smith AV, Launer LJ, Harris TB, Makino S, Nelis M, Milan DJ, Perz S, Esko T, Köttgen A, Moebus S, Newton-Cheh C, Li M, Möhlenkamp S, Wang TJ, Kao WH, Vasan RS, Nöthen MM, MacRae CA, Stricker BH, Hofman A, Uitterlinden AG, Levy D, Boerwinkle E, Metspalu A, Topol EJ, Chakravarti A, Gudnason V, Psaty BM, Roden DM, Meitinger T, Wichmann HE, Witteman JC, Barnard J, Arking DE, Benjamin EJ, Heckbert SR, Kääb S. Common variants in KCNN3 are associated with lone atrial fibrillation. Nat Genet. 2010;42(3):240-4. Epub 2010 Feb 21. PubMed
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 in the media
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