RSV vaccine protects older adults against severe illness
A new study by Kaiser Permanente has shown that the ABRYSVO respiratory syncytial virus vaccine is very effective in reducing emergency room visits and hospital stays due to RSV among older adults. “This Kaiser Permanente research demonstrated the real-world effectiveness of RSV vaccination among ...
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Study finds air pollution may increase risk of preterm birth
Exposure to a specific kind of air pollution, fine particulate matter, during pregnancy may significantly increase the risk of spontaneous preterm birth, which can be dangerous for both the mother and ...
5 questions for … Dr. Javed Sheikh
Javed Sheikh, MD, was recently named 2024 Physician Researcher of the Year by the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Dr. Sheikh is the vice area research chair for the Los Angeles area on ...
Kaiser Permanente’s vaccine side-effect monitor bolsters safety
After COVID-19 vaccines became available in December 2020, several smartphone-based reporting systems were developed to monitor vaccine side effects. They included V-safe from the Centers for Disease ...
Kaiser Permanente’s vaccine side-effect monitor bolsters safety
November 22, 2024After COVID-19 vaccines became available in December 2020, several smartphone-based reporting systems were developed to monitor vaccine side effects. They included V-safe from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, like most large surveillance systems, they had imperfections. Kaiser Permanente Southern California collaborated with the CDC and others to create a new system in April ...Read more...Five questions for … Dr. Kristi Reynolds
November 22, 2024Kristi Reynolds, PhD, MPH, is a chronic disease epidemiologist and the director of the Division of Epidemiologic Research for the Department of Research & Evaluation. Her research focuses on the prevention and treatment of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. She also studies medication adherence, drug safety, and cardiovascular quality of care and outcomes. Dr. Reynolds has more than ...Read more...People with new-onset heart failure benefit from testing for coronary artery disease
November 22, 2024A new Kaiser Permanente study explores factors that might influence whether people with new-onset heart failure get tested for coronary artery disease. Published November 1, 2024, in JACC: Advances, it suggests that physician perceptions of the risks and benefits of testing, patient preferences, and socioeconomic challenges may all come into play. The study follows research published ...Read more...Younger adults respond to colorectal cancer screening outreach
October 24, 2024The updated national colorectal cancer screening guidelines that recommend screening begin at age 45 — rather than 50 — can benefit younger adults, a new Kaiser Permanente study found. The study was published October 22, 2024, in Annals of Internal Medicine. It included 267,732 Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, Washington, and Colorado ages 45 to ...Read more...Opioid use among breast cancer survivors can increase risk of falls and fractures
October 16, 2024Breast cancer survivors commonly continue to use opioid pain killers after their cancer treatment is complete. A new Kaiser Permanente study shows that this can increase their risk of falls and bone fractures, lung problems, and cardiovascular conditions. The study was published in October 2024 in The Oncologist. A cancer epidemiologist partnered with a breast cancer survivor ...Read more...Five questions for … Dr. Heidi Brown
September 24, 2024Heidi Brown, MD, MAS, is a urogynecologist and a dissemination and implementation scientist who joined the Department of Research & Evaluation in August 2023. Her research focuses on improving access to effective solutions for pelvic floor disorders such as bladder and bowel incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. She uses community engagement, user-centered design, and iterative ...Read more...No increased risk associated with flu vaccines given in closely spaced pregnancies
September 19, 2024Monitoring of about 45,000 pregnant people receiving flu vaccines in each of 2 successive pregnancies showed no increased risk of side effects or health issues, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published September 19, 2024, in JAMA Network Open. “Our study’s findings support recommendations to give flu vaccinations to pregnant persons even if they received a ...Read more...Beta blockers not all the same for patients with heart failure and CKD
September 16, 2024A Kaiser Permanente Southern California study showed that 1 heart-failure medication worked best among the 3 most commonly used to prevent illness and disease among patients with chronic kidney disease and heart failure. “Beta blockers save lives in heart failure patients, but we wanted to see how this worked among patients who also had chronic kidney ...Read more...Gay men may be aging faster
September 13, 2024Gay men had shorter age-adjusted telomere length, which is a biomarker of aging, than straight men, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. “While everyone ages at the same rate chronologically, studies have shown that we do not age at the same rate biologically,” said the lead author on ...Read more...High-dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines provided better protection for seniors
August 21, 2024High-dose and adjuvanted influenza (flu) vaccines boosted protection against flu symptoms and hospitalization for people 65 years and older during the 2022-2023 flu season compared to the standard flu vaccine. The study was published on August 21, 2024, in Clinical Infectious Diseases. “Our research showed that there were advantages for older people to receive high-dose or ...Read more...