Featured Image of Top News Story: Study finds air pollution may increase risk of preterm birth

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 ...

  • Depression screening improves care for patients with cancer

    January 4, 2022
    Kaiser Permanente research published January 4, 2022, in JAMA showed depression screening for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer was highly effective at identifying patients in need of behavioral health care, and the new screening initiative was subsequently and successfully built into the patient care and daily workflow of medical oncology teams at Kaiser Permanente in Southern ...
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  • Shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of COVID-19

    December 28, 2021
    People who were vaccinated for shingles had a lower risk of COVID-19 diagnosis or hospitalization, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of people ages 50 and older. The research was published December 28 in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. “Our findings add to a compelling body of evidence that some vaccines may provide some protection against ...
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  • Dr. Nguyen named 2021 Physician Researcher of the Year

    December 28, 2021
    John K. Nguyen, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, has been named the 2021 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 community. Dr. Nguyen is the ...
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  • Moderna COVID-19 vaccine effective against virus variants

    December 16, 2021
    Kaiser Permanente research published on December 15, 2021 in The British Medical Journal showed 2 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine were highly effective against all SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, vaccine effectiveness against the delta variant moderately declined with increasing time after vaccination. “We conducted a previous study that showed the high effectiveness of the 2-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, ...
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  • Five questions for … Dr. Matthew Mefford

    December 16, 2021
    Matthew Mefford, PhD, is a cardiovascular disease epidemiologist and research scientist in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. His research interests include heart failure, cardiovascular disease disparities, risk factors and outcomes, and the intersection of chronic disease and infectious diseases. He also maintains a broad focus on applying epidemiologic methods to ...
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  • Heart attack patients may have delayed care over COVID-19 concerns

    December 14, 2021
    A study of Kaiser Permanente Southern California members shows that rates of hospital admissions or emergency department visits for heart attacks dropped significantly after stay-at-home orders for the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. These findings, published in The Permanente Journal on December 13, 2021, suggest that people may have delayed seeking care out of concern ...
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  • New Virtual Research Office enables physician research

    December 14, 2021
    Kaiser Permanente Southern California has launched a new Virtual Research Office portal to make it easier for physicians to conduct clinical research that can have a direct impact on the quality of care provided to Kaiser Permanente members. The new portal, developed and housed by the Department of Research & Evaluation, provides a single point of ...
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  • People with HIV are at increased risk for heart failure

    December 13, 2021
    People with HIV are at higher risk of developing heart failure than people without HIV, a new study found. The research, published Dec. 13, 2021, in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, is one of the largest studies to investigate heart failure risk in people with HIV and how that risk varies by age, gender, race, and ethnicity. “Cardiovascular ...
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  • Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is effective 5 months after 2nd dose

    November 29, 2021
    Kaiser Permanente research in Southern California published November 25, 2021, in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas confirmed high Moderna COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness up to 5 months after the second dose. Effectiveness was 87% against COVID-19 infection, 96% against COVID-19 hospitalization, and 98% against COVID-19 death. “This research provides reassuring evidence of the high effectiveness of ...
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  • Higher risk of dementia for older adults living with HIV

    November 28, 2021
    A study reviewing 16 years of patient data found nearly double the rate of dementia among people with HIV compared with those without HIV. The rate of dementia decreased over time for both groups but remained higher for those with HIV, reported research published in the journal AIDS. The study compared more than 13,000 people with HIV, ages ...
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