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
Lubitz SA, Yin X, Lin H, Kolek M, Smith JG, Trompet S, Rienstra M, Rost NS, Teixeira P, Almgren P, Anderson CD, Chen LY, Engström G, Ford I, Furie KL, Guo X, Larson MG, Lunetta K, Macfarlane PW, Psaty BM, Soliman EZ, Sotoodehnia N, Stott DJ, Taylor KD, Weng LC, Yao J, Geelhoed B, Verweij N, Siland JE, Kathiresan S, Roselli C, Roden DM, van der Harst P, Darbar D, Jukema JW, Melander O, Rosand J, Rotter JI, Heckbert SR, Ellinor PT, Alonso A, Benjamin EJ; AFGen Consortium. Genetic risk prediction of atrial fibrillation. Circulation. 2016 Oct 28. pii: CIRCULATIONAHA.116.024143. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Reynolds K, Go AS, Leong TK, Boudreau DM, Cassidy-Bushrow AE, Fortmann SP, Goldberg RJ, Gurwitz JH, Magid DJ, Margolis KL, McNeal CJ, Newton KM, Novotny R, Quesenberry CP Jr, Rosamond WD, Smith DH, VanWormer JJ, Vupputuri S, Waring SC, Williams MS, Sidney S. Trends in incidence of hospitalized acute myocardial infarction in the Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN). Am J Med. 2016 Oct 14. pii: S0002-9343(16)31020-8. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.09.014. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Wallace ER, Siscovick DS, Sitlani CM, Dublin S, Mitchell P, Robbins JA, Fink HA, Cauley JA, Buzkova P, Carbone L, Chen Z, Heckbert SR. Incident atrial fibrillation and the risk of fracture in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Osteoporos Int. 2016 Oct 7. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Jakobsdottir J, van der Lee SJ, Bis JC, Chouraki V, Li-Kroeger D, Yamamoto S, Grove ML, Naj A, Vronskaya M, Salazar JL, DeStefano AL, Brody JA, Smith AV, Amin N, Sims R, Ibrahim-Verbaas CA, Choi SH, Satizabal CL, Lopez OL, Beiser A, Ikram MA, Garcia ME, Hayward C, Varga TV, Ripatti S, Franks PW, Hallmans G, Rolandsson O, Jansson JH, Porteous DJ, Salomaa V, Eiriksdottir G, Rice KM, Bellen HJ, Levy D, Uitterlinden AG, Emilsson V, Rotter JI, Aspelund T; Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology consortium, Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Consortium, Genetic and Environmental Risk in Alzheimer’s Disease consortium, O'Donnell CJ, Fitzpatrick AL, Launer LJ, Hofman A, Wang LS, Williams J, Schellenberg GD, Boerwinkle E, Psaty BM, Seshadri S, Shulman JM, Gudnason V, van Duijn CM. Rare functional variant in TM2D3 is associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease. PLoS Genet. 2016 20;12(10):e1006327. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006327. eCollection 2016 Oct. PubMed
Kubota Y, London SJ, Cushman M, Chamberlain AM, Rosamond WD, Heckbert SR, Zakai N, Folsom AR. Lung function, respiratory symptoms and venous thromboembolism risk: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. J Thromb Haemost. 2016 Oct 1. doi: 10.1111/jth.13525. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Researchers in Cardiovascular Health
 Meagan C. Brown, PhD, MPHAssistant Investigator |
 Sascha Dublin, MD, PhDSenior Investigator |
 Nicole M. Gatto, PhD, MPHPrincipal Collaborative Scientist |
 Beverly B. Green, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
 Laura Harrington, PhD, MPHAssociate 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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