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 the baby, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in JAMA Network Open. “Consistent with ...
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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 ...
Five questions for … Dr. Kristi Reynolds
Kristi 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 ...
Dr. William Towner named 2022 SCPMG Physician Researcher of the Year
February 1, 2023William 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 ...Read more...Original COVID-19 vaccine booster effect wanes against BA.4 and BA.5
January 24, 2023A 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 ...Read more...5 questions for … Dr. Hung Fu Tseng
January 24, 2023Hung 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 ...Read more...Quality improvement reduces blood pressure control disparities
January 24, 2023A 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 ...Read more...Immunocompromised people not getting recommended COVID shots
January 24, 2023A 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 ...Read more...More exercise linked to less-severe COVID-19 outcomes
December 15, 2022Kaiser Permanente members who were more physically active prior to being diagnosed with COVID-19 had a lower risk of severe outcomes, according to research published Dec. 15, 2022, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study of nearly 200,000 adults showed an association between physical activity and improved COVID-19 outcomes across major demographic groups regardless ...Read more...Prescription guidelines help decrease opioid use
December 15, 2022A Kaiser Permanente Southern California study to evaluate trends in chronic and high-dose use of opioids has determined that national and regional prescribing guidelines help decrease patient use. Results of the study were published Dec. 15, 2022, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study was led by Rulin Hechter, MD, PhD, of the Kaiser ...Read more...Smoking increases risk of bladder cancer recurrence
December 1, 2022It’s well established – but not widely known – that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of bladder cancer. Now, new research shows that current and former smokers are also at higher risk of having their bladder cancer recur after treatment. The study, published November 30 in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from the Be-Well Study, a ...Read more...Study links youth firearm injuries to certain risk factors
October 21, 2022A study of nearly 2 million pediatric Kaiser Permanente members reinforces known links between children’s chances of experiencing a firearm injury and certain risk factors — especially being an adolescent male. The study, which appeared recently in Academic Pediatrics, addresses a number of additional risk factors, providing a broad view of the risk of firearm ...Read more...Exposure to air pollution worsens COVID-19 outcomes, even among the fully vaccinated
October 21, 2022COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, so it’s not surprising that exposure to poor air quality worsens patient outcomes. But how does air pollution affect people who are vaccinated? To answer that question, a team of researchers analyzed data from more than 50,000 Kaiser Permanente Southern California COVID-19 patients. By comparing publicly available air quality monitoring data ...Read more...