High-impact research
Research highlights
In 2024, Kaiser Permanente Southern California scientists and clinician researchers conducted hundreds of important research studies.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California researchers made discoveries in 2024 that were highly impactful and wide-ranging: from the consequences of air pollution, at-home fecal tests, and opioid use among breast cancer survivors, to assessing the best treatments for different populations such as seniors and those with heart failure.
See a few of the highlights from 2024 here.
Research stories
New study sheds light on incidence of IgA nephropathy
Summary: A study published November 4, 2024, in American Journal of Nephrology assesses IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune kidney disease, and finds a national incidence of 1.7 cases per 100,000 person-years. Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic patients had the highest incidence rates of this disease.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: John Sim, MD; Qiaoling Chen, MS; Nancy Cannizzaro, PhD; and John Chang, MPH
RSV vaccine protects older adults against severe illness
Summary: Study published December 13, 2024, in JAMA Network Open showed respiratory syncytial virus vaccine can be very effective in reducing emergency room visits and hospital stays due to RSV among older adults.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Sara Tartof, PhD, MPH, Gabriella Goodwin, MS, Jeff Slezak, MS, Vennis Hong, MPH, Bradley Ackerson, MD, Sally Shaw, DrPH, MPH, Julie A. Stern, MPH, Banshri Kapadia, MS, Brigitte C Spence, MPH
Study finds air pollution may increase risk of preterm birth
Summary: Study published November 13, 2024, in JAMA Network Open shows 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 the baby.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Darios Getahun, MD, PhD; Chantal Avila, MA; Vicki Chiu, MS; Jeff Slezak, MS; and David A. Sacks, MD
Kaiser Permanente’s vaccine side-effect monitor bolsters safety
Summary: Kaiser Permanente’s vaccine side-effect monitor improved vaccine safety monitoring by linking participants’ smartphone-based reports to their electronic health records. Study on the project was published November 11, 2024, in the Journal of Medical Internet Research mHealth and uHealth.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Debbie Malden* DPhil, MSc; Sungching Glenn, MS; Zhuoxin Li, MS; Denison S. Ryan, MPH; Cassandra Bezi, MS; Sunhea Kim, MPH; and senior author Sara Y. Tartof, PhD, MPH *Author is no longer at Kaiser Permanente Southern California
No link between COVID-19 vaccines and cardiac-related death
Summary: This study, published March 7, 2024, in Vaccine, showed no increased risk of cardiac-related death among people who received any of the 3 COVID-19 vaccines most commonly used in the United States between December 14, 2020, and August 11, 2021.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Stanley Xu, PhD; Lina S. Sy, MPH; Vennis Hong, MPH; Sungching C. Glenn, MS; Denison S. Ryan, MPH; Abraelle M. Shirley, BA; Bruno J. Lewin, MD; Hung-Fu Tseng, PhD; Lei Qian, PhD
People with new-onset heart failure benefit from testing for coronary artery disease
Summary: These studies published November 1, 2024, in JACC: Advances and January 18, 2024, in the Journal of General Internal Medicine both assessed patients with new-onset coronary heart disease. The first explored factors that might influence whether people with new-onset heart failure get tested for coronary artery disease, while the second examined whether coronary artery disease testing, and its timing, were associated with improved outcomes.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Cheng-Wei Huang, MD; Siamak Kohan, MD; Janet S. Lee, MS; Huong Q. Nguyen, PhD, RN; Mingsum Lee, MD, PhD; In-Lu Amy Liu, MS; Nicole C. Baghdasaryan, MD; Joon S. Park, MD; Jessica D. Vallejo, MS; Christopher C. Subject, MD; Huong Nguyen PhD, RN
Opioid use among breast cancer survivors can increase risk of falls and fractures
Summary: This study, published October 14, 2024, in The Oncologist, looked at the lives of breast cancer survivors, many of whom continue to use opioid pain killers after their cancer treatment is complete. The study showed that this can increase their risk of falls and bone fractures, lung problems, and cardiovascular conditions.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Reina Haque, PhD; Lie Hong Chen, DrPH; Jiaxiao Shi, PhD; Zheng Gu, MPH; Rulin C. Hechter MD, PhD
Beta blockers not all the same for patients with heart failure and CKD
Summary: This study, published September 6, 2024, in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, showed that one 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.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Cheng-Wei “Charlie” Huang, MD, and John Sim, MD. Other authors on their research included Albert Yu, MD, of the Los Angeles Medical Center; Hui Zhou, PhD; Katherine Pak, MS; Sally F. Shaw, DrPH; Jiaxiao Shi, PhD, and Benjamin L. Broder, MD, PhD
High-dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines provided better protection for seniors
Summary: This study published August, 21, 2024, in Clinical Infectious Diseases, showed that high-dose and adjuvanted 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.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Jennifer Ku, PhD, MPH; Emily Rayens, PhD, MPH; Hung-Fu Tseng, PhD, MPH; Lina S. Sy, MPH; Lei Qian, PhD; Bradley K. Ackerson, MD; Yi Luo, PhD; Julia E. Tubert, MPH; Gina S. Lee, MPH; Punam P. Modha, MPH
Some patients take 2nd at-home fecal test to delay colonoscopy
Summary: This mixed methods study published May 21, 2024, in the Journal of General Internal Medicine explored the barriers to appropriate follow-up after a positive at-home fecal test. The study showed that 7.4% of patients repeated fecal testing rather than proceeding directly to colonoscopy as guidelines recommend, and of those who repeated home tests, over half did not have a colonoscopy within one year.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Erin E. Hahn, PhD; Corrine E. Munoz-Plaza, MPH; Nirupa R. Ghai, PhD; Katherine Pak, MS; Britta I. Amundsen, MA; Richard Contreras, MS; and Nancy Cannizzaro, PhD; Joanne E. Schottinger, MD
Study suggests waning protection from Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine
Summary: This study published May 4, 2024, in Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics was the first study to assess Moderna bivalent vaccine effectiveness against severe outcomes with sequencing-confirmed XBB-related sublineages. The researchers concluded that periodic vaccination with vaccines reflecting the current circulating variants reduces SARS-CoV-2–associated illness and hospitalization.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Bradley Ackerson, MD; Hung Fu Tseng, PhD MPH; Katia J. Bruxvoort*, PhD, MPH; Lei Qian, PhD; Lina S. Sy, MPH; Sijia Qiu, MS; Julia E. Tubert, MPH; Gina S. Lee, MPH; Jennifer H. Ku, PhD, MPH; Ana Florea, PhD, MPH; Yi Luo, PhD; Radha Bathala, MS; Julie Stern, MPH; Soon K. Choi, MPP; MSc, Harpreet S. Takhar, MPH; and Michael Aragones, MD *Author is no longer at Kaiser Permanente Southern California
Study sheds light on needs of young people who survive cancer
Summary: This study published October 9, 2024, in Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology showed that emergency department use was common for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors within 5 years of a cancer diagnosis, and differences in use were associated with social and demographic factors and cancer type.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Erin E. Hahn, PhD; Eric Haupt, ScM; Ernest Shen, PhD
Prevalence of adolescents meeting criteria for metabolic and bariatric surgery
Summary: This study published March 3, 2024, in Pediatrics showed that 1 in 23 adolescents met the eligibility criteria for metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery. The findings suggest that about 1 million adolescents across the United States could be eligible for the procedure.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Corinna Koebnick, PhD, MSc; Poornima Kunani, MD; Warren L. Shapiro, MD; Margo A. Sidell, ScD, MSPH; Xia Li, MSc; Jeffrey M. Slezak, MS
Evaluation of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in all-cause mortality in adolescents and young adults with cancer
Summary: This study published in September 2024 in JNCCN assessed insured people ages 15 to 39 with cancer. Results suggest that racial/ethnic disparities in mortality exists for those who are Hispanic or Black, but no differences were evident between patients of different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California authors: Robert Cooper, MD, Chun Chao, PhD