Featured Image of Top News Story: Younger adults respond to colorectal cancer screening outreach

Younger adults respond to colorectal cancer screening outreach

The 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 ...

  • Atrial fibrillation may increase risk for dementia

    March 27, 2023
    People who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are known to have an increased risk of developing other heart problems. A new Kaiser Permanente study suggests they may also be at increased risk for dementia. The researchers found that people with atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat, had a 13% greater risk of ...
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  • Five questions for … Dr. Bechien Wu

    March 27, 2023
    Dr. Bechien Wu is a gastroenterologist  at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center and chair of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group Regional Research Committee. He was recently appointed to be the physician director of Clinician Research. In his new role, Dr. Wu will provide scientific leadership to the new Division of Clinician Research within ...
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  • Paxlovid associated with lower risk of hospital admission

    March 16, 2023
    A Kaiser Permanente study confirms the benefit of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, also known as Paxlovid, as an early-stage treatment to prevent hospitalization for people with mild to moderate COVID-19, regardless of prior immunity or age. The study was published March 15, 2023, in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. “Among Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California who tested positive for ...
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  • Extra pounds put kids at higher risk for hypertension

    March 14, 2023
    A study of more than 800,000 young people between the ages of 3 and 17 showed that youth at the upper range of average  weight had a 26% higher risk of developing hypertension than those closer to what is considered average weight. The study was published March 14, 2023, in JAMA Network Open. “Hypertension during youth ...
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  • Kaiser Permanente Southern California selected for initiative aimed at improving patient outcomes

    March 8, 2023
    The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has selected Kaiser Permanente Southern California as one of 42 health systems nationwide to carry out a pioneering initiative aimed at improving patient outcomes. As a participant in PCORI’s Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII), Kaiser Permanente Southern California will bring its on-the-ground experience and expertise in health care innovation to ...
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  • Dr. William Towner named 2022 SCPMG Physician Researcher of the Year

    February 1, 2023
    William J. Towner, MD, FACP, FIDSA, physician director of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Clinical Trials Program, has been named the 2022 Southern California Permanente Medical Group Physician Researcher of the Year. The award has been given each year since 2007 to recognize a physician or surgeon for his or her outstanding contributions to the research ...
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  • Original COVID-19 vaccine booster effect wanes against BA.4 and BA.5

    January 24, 2023
    A Kaiser Permanente study published January 12, 2023, in Nature Communications shows that third and fourth doses of the monovalent Moderna mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine lose protection against infection with omicron subvariants after 3 months, but protection against hospitalization remains high in adults 18 years of age or older. “This study provides important data on the effectiveness ...
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  • 5 questions for … Dr. Hung Fu Tseng

    January 24, 2023
    Hung Fu Tseng, PhD, MPH, is a senior scientist in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation and a professor at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. His research focuses on generating real-world evidence to determine the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. His research has had a significant impact ...
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  • Quality improvement reduces blood pressure control disparities

    January 24, 2023
    A Kaiser Permanente Southern California quality improvement program, which harnessed clinical and culturally responsive care strategies, nearly halved the racial disparities previously seen in blood pressure control between Black and white adults. The results of the work were published in JAMA Network Open. “It is well known that Black adults with hypertension in the United States are ...
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  • Immunocompromised people not getting recommended COVID shots

    January 24, 2023
    A study of more than 40,000 immunocompromised Kaiser Permanente Southern California members shows that, by early August 2022, only 1% had received 5 doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines as was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time. This finding appears in the journal JAMA Network Open. “Given Kaiser Permanente’s leadership in ...
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