No increased stroke risk found after COVID-19 and flu vaccinations
A large multisite study found that bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, flu vaccination, and same-day administration of both vaccines were not associated with an increased risk of first-ever ischemic stroke. “This study found no evidence of an increased risk of ischemic stroke following bivalent ...
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RSV vaccine protects older adults for at least 3 seasons
An RSV vaccine continued to protect adults aged 60 and older against RSV-related hospitalization and emergency department visits for at least 3 seasons after vaccination, according to a new study by ...
Five questions for Dr. Casey Luc
Casey Luc, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist with expertise in HIV epidemiology in underserved communities, is the fifth Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Service officer to ...
Five questions for Dr. Kevin Yu
Kevin Yu, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Research & Evaluation at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. He earned his PhD in health informatics from Northwestern University, ...
Researchers examine association of preterm birth and chemicals in flame-retardant fabrics
March 3, 2021A Kaiser Permanente Southern California study of 3,500 women showed that pregnant women with high levels of PDBE-47, a chemical used in flame-retardant fabrics, were at increased risk of giving birth early in the pregnancy. The study, “Women with high plasma levels of PBDE-47 are at increased risk of preterm birth” was published recently in the ...Read more...Promoting heart health through research
February 2, 2021Kaiser Permanente researcher seeks to reduce heart disease by finding better ways to prevent, detect, and treat high blood pressure, known as a “silent killer.” Epidemiologists are scientists who study patterns of diseases and health conditions in large populations. Early in her career as an epidemiologist, Kristi Reynolds, PhD, MPH, decided to focus on heart health. ...Read more...Self-order option boosts colorectal cancer screening rates
January 21, 2021A study among Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California shows that allowing patients to self-order a colorectal cancer screening test online improves rates of testing completion. The rates of both completion and follow-up activities were higher among patients who ordered the tests themselves than those who received the test kit automatically in the mail when ...Read more...Chest pain risk assessment may reduce treatment disparities
December 23, 2020The use of a standardized tool for assessing the risk of serious outcomes in patients with chest pain was associated with women at high risk receiving comparable care to men, according to new research published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Care received by women at low and intermediate risk was consistent with current clinical ...Read more...Progression of children’s myopia may be influenced by race and ethnicity
December 2, 2020Asian American children are at a much higher risk of a progression of myopia—commonly known as nearsightedness—a new Kaiser Permanente Southern California study shows. “Some people think of myopia only as an issue that can be easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. However, myopic patients have a higher risk of vision loss throughout life as ...Read more...People on dialysis have higher risk from COVID-19
December 1, 2020Kidney dialysis patients should take extra precautions to avoid being infected with COVID-19. A new Kaiser Permanente Southern California study found patients on dialysis have 18 times higher risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than people who do not have end-stage kidney disease. Intuitively, the physicians and researchers knew that these patients may be at ...Read more...Five questions for … Dr. Chunyuan Qiu
December 1, 2020Chunyuan Qiu, MD, MS, is a clinician investigator for the Department of Research & Evaluation and the chief of the Department of Anesthesiology at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center. He is actively involved in teaching regional anesthesia fellows. In his practice, he focuses on the long-term outcomes after surgery and anesthesia. What is the value to ...Read more...Kaiser Permanente San Diego enrolling patients in monoclonal antibody trial
November 30, 2020In November, emergency departments at the Kaiser Permanente San Diego and Zion medical centers began enrolling patients in the ACTIV-2 Outpatient Monoclonal Antibodies and Other Therapies trial, which is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “This trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatments for people who have COVID-19 but aren’t ...Read more...Seeking early detection for pancreatic cancer
November 23, 2020Earlier this year, much-loved game show host Alex Trebec died from a cancer that’s rare but extremely deadly: pancreatic cancer. In fact, the disease is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. Pancreatic cancer’s high mortality rate is due in large part to a lack of effective screening methods, according to ...Read more...New tool helps predict outcomes for COVID-19
November 20, 2020A study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine this month reports on an assessment tool developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers and physicians that helps ensure patients get the right care, when they need it, by accurately predicting the probability that patients with COVID-19 symptoms will experience severe disease or even death. “As the pandemic ...Read more...