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
Nguyen KT, Vittinghoff E, Dewland TA, Dukes JW, Soliman EZ, Stein PK, Gottdiener JS, Alonso A, Chen LY, Psaty BM, Heckbert SR, Marcus GM. Ectopy on a single 12-lead ECG, incident cardiac myopathy, and death in the community. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Aug 3;6(8). pii: e006028. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006028. PubMed
Nolte IM, Munoz ML, Tragante V, Amare AT, Jansen R, Vaez A, von der Heyde B, Avery CL, Bis JC, Dierckx B, van Dongen J, Gogarten SM, Goyette P, Hernesniemi J, Huikari V, Hwang SJ, Jaju D, Kerr KF, Kluttig A, Krijthe BP, Kumar J, van der Laan SW, Lyytikäinen LP, Maihofer AX, Minassian A, van der Most PJ, Müller-Nurasyid M, Nivard M, Salvi E, Stewart JD, Thayer JF, Verweij N, Wong A, Zabaneh D, Zafarmand MH, Abdellaoui A, Albarwani S, Albert C, Alonso A, Ashar F, Auvinen J, Axelsson T, Baker DG, de Bakker PIW, Barcella M, Bayoumi R, Bieringa RJ, Boomsma D, Boucher G, Britton AR, Christophersen I, Dietrich A, Ehret GB, Ellinor PT, Eskola M, Felix JF, Floras JS, Franco OH, Friberg P, Gademan MGJ, Geyer MA, Giedraitis V, Hartman CA, Hemerich D, Hofman A, Hottenga JJ, Huikuri H, Hutri-Kähönen N, Jouven X, Junttila J, Juonala M, Kiviniemi AM, Kors JA, Kumari M, Kuznetsova T, Laurie CC, Lefrandt JD, Li Y, Li Y, Liao D, Limacher MC, Lin HJ, Lindgren CM, Lubitz SA, Mahajan A, McKnight B, Zu Schwabedissen HM, Milaneschi Y, Mononen N, Morris AP, Nalls MA, Navis G, Neijts M, Nikus K, North KE, O'Connor DT, Ormel J, Perz S, Peters A, Psaty BM, Raitakari OT, Risbrough VB, Sinner MF, Siscovick D, Smit JH, Smith NL, Soliman EZ, Sotoodehnia N, Staessen JA, Stein PK, Stilp AM, Stolarz-Skrzypek K, Strauch K, Sundström J, Swenne CA, Syvänen AC, Tardif JC, Taylor KD, Teumer A, Thornton TA, Tinker LE, Uitterlinden AG, van Setten J, Voss A, Waldenberger M, Wilhelmsen KC, Willemsen G, Wong Q, Zhang ZM, Zonderman AB, Cusi D, Evans MK, Greiser HK, van der Harst P, Hassan M, Ingelsson E, Järvelin MR, Kääb S, Kähönen M, Kivimaki M, Kooperberg C, Kuh D, Lehtimäki T, Lind L, Nievergelt CM, O'Donnell CJ, Oldehinkel AJ, Penninx B, Reiner AP, Riese H, van Roon AM, Rioux JD, Rotter JI, Sofer T, Stricker BH, Tiemeier H, Vrijkotte TGM, Asselbergs FW, Brundel BJJM, Heckbert SR, Whitsel EA, den Hoed M, Snieder H, de Geus EJC. Erratum: Genetic loci associated with heart rate variability and their effects on cardiac disease risk. Nat Commun. 2017 Aug 2;8:16140. doi: 10.1038/ncomms16140. PubMed
Christophersen IE, Magnani JW, Yin X, Barnard J, Weng LC, Arking DE, Niemeijer MN, Lubitz SA, Avery CL, Duan Q, Felix SB, Bis JC, Kerr KF, Isaacs A, Müller-Nurasyid M, Müller C, North KE, Reiner AP, Tinker LF, Kors JA, Teumer A, Petersmann A, Sinner MF, Buzkova P, Smith JD, Van Wagoner DR, Völker U, Waldenberger M, Peters A, Meitinger T, Limacher MC, Wilhelmsen KC, Psaty BM, Hofman A, Uitterlinden A, Krijthe BP, Zhang ZM, Schnabel RB, Kääb S, van Duijn C, Rotter JI, Sotoodehnia N, Dörr M, Li Y, Chung MK, Soliman EZ, Alonso A, Whitsel EA, Stricker BH, Benjamin EJ, Heckbert SR, Ellinor PT. Fifteen genetic loci associated with the electrocardiographic P wave. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2017;10(4). pii: e001667. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.116.001667. PubMed
Mousas A, Ntritsos G, Chen MH, Song C, Huffman JE, Tzoulaki I, Elliott P, Psaty BM, Auer PL, Johnson AD, Evangelou E, Lettre G, Reiner AP. Rare coding variants pinpoint genes that control human hematological traits. PLoS Genet. 2017 7;13(8):e1006925. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006925. eCollection 2017 Aug. PubMed
Kent ST, Rosenson RS, Avery CL, Chen YI, Correa A, Cummings SR, Cupples LA, Cushman M, Evans DS, Gudnason V, Harris TB, Howard G, Irvin MR, Judd SE, Jukema JW, Lange L, Levitan EB, Li X, Liu Y, Post WS, Postmus I, Psaty BM, Rotter JI, Safford MM, Sitlani CM, Smith AV, Stewart JD, Trompet S, Sun F, Vasan RS, Woolley JM, Whitsel EA, Wiggins KL, Wilson JG, Muntner P. PCSK9 loss-of-function variants, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke: data from 9 studies of blacks and whites. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2017;10(4):e001632. doi: 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.116.001632. 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
Research
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New grant boosts research on cardiovascular disease
Epidemiologist Laura B. Harrington, PhD, MPH, speaks about working in cardiovascular and aging research.
Research to practice
Home blood pressure monitoring: From study to clinic
Beverly Green, MD, and Kaiser Permanente work to improve hypertension care.
Research
Is blood pressure reading better at home or clinic?
Home blood pressure monitoring shown to be an excellent alternative for making new diagnoses of hypertension.
New findings
There’s no place like home … to track blood pressure
Research led by KPWHRI’s Beverly Green, MD, MPH, finds that patients prefer at-home monitoring of blood pressure.
Research
CVD risk calculation: Can smaller clinics break through?
KPWHRI researchers uncover obstacles faced by smaller practices when adding CVD risk calculators into primary care.
KPWHRI in the media
Understanding high blood pressure
Hypertension headache: Medical myth or true health concern?
AARP, June 3, 2024
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