Cardiovascular health

Heart disease, the leading cause of death in older adults, has long been a high priority for investigators at Group Health Center for Health Studies (CHS). Researchers interested in heart disease here keep finding new links between cardiovascular problems and genetic inheritance, health behaviors, and various medications such as antihypertensive drugs and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). These discoveries spring from well-designed studies that put Group Health's extensive administrative and pharmacy databases to good use, along with telephone interviews with patients.

CHS scientists often collaborate with colleagues at the University of Washington (UW), the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, and other institutions. These investigators' findings have challenged conventional wisdom and changed standard practice in several areas. Examples include how to help prevent heart attacks, stroke, irregular heartbeats, and blood clots in deep veins; and how to treat people with high blood pressure as well as women during and after menopause.

"The goal of studying interactions between drugs and genes is to identify patients who may be especially susceptible to either the benefits or the risks of a drug therapy," says Bruce M. Psaty, MD, PhD, a senior investigator at CHS. "If these genetic variants can be identified and confirmed in additional studies, the application of this knowledge will help assure that each individual patient receives the safest and most effective therapies for him or her."

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Researchers in cardiovascular health

CHS

Affiliate researchers

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Recent publications on cardiovascular health

2008

Thomas MC, Dublin S, Kaplan RC, Glazer NL, Lumley T, Longstreth WT Jr, Smith NL, Psaty BM, Siscovick DS, Heckbert SR. Blood pressure control and risk of incident atrial fibrillation. Am J Hypertens. 2008;21(10):1111-6. Epub 2008 Aug 28. PubMed

Mozaffarian D, Furberg CD, Psaty BM, Siscovick D. Physical activity and incidence of atrial fibrillation in older adults: the cardiovascular health study. Circulation. 2008;118(8):800-7. Epub 2008 Aug 4. PubMed

Hindorff LA, Lemaitre RN, Smith NL, Bis JC, Marciante KD, Rice KM, Lumley T, Enquobahrie DA, Li G, Heckbert SR, Psaty BM. Common genetic variation in six lipid-related and statin-related genes, statin use and risk of incident nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2008 Aug;18(8):677-682. PubMed

Enquobahrie DA, Smith NL, Bis JC, Carty CL, Rice KM, Lumley T, Hindorff LA, Lemaitre RN, Williams MA, Siscovick DS, Heckbert SR, Psaty BM. Cholesterol ester transfer protein, interleukin-8, peroxisome proliferator activator receptor alpha, and toll-like receptor 4 genetic variations and risk of incident nonfatal myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Am J Cardiol. 2008 Jun 15;101(12):1683-8. Epub 2008 Apr 9. PubMed

Kaplan RC, McGinn AP, Pollak MN, Kuller L, Strickler HD, Rohan TE, Cappola AR, Xue X, Psaty BM. High insulinlike growth factor binding protein 1 level predicts incident congestive heart failure in the elderly. Am Heart J. 2008;155(6):1006-12. Epub 2008 Mar 5. PubMed

Fornage M, Chiang YA, O'Meara ES, Psaty BM, Reiner AP, Siscovick DS, Tracy RP, Longstreth WT Jr. Biomarkers of inflammation and MRI-defined small vessel disease of the brain. The Cardiovascular Health Study. Stroke. 2008;39(7):1952-9. Epub 2008 Apr 24. PubMed

Moran A, Katz R, Smith NL, Fried LF, Sarnak MJ, Seliger SL, Psaty B, Siscovick DS, Gottdiener JS, Shlipak MG. Cystatin C concentration as a predictor of systolic and diastolic heart failure. J Card Fail. 2008;14(1):19-26. PubMed

Lemaitre RN, Heckbert SR, Sotoodehnia N, Bis JC, Smith NL, Marciante KD, Hindorff LA, Lange LA, Lumley TS, Rice KM, Wiggins KL, Psaty BM. Beta1- and beta2-adrenergic receptor gene variation, beta-blocker use and risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Am J Hypertens. 2008;21(3):290-6. Epub 2008 Jan 24. PubMed

van Stralen KJ, Doggen CJ, Lumley T, Cushman M, Folsom AR, Psaty BM, Siscovick D, Rosendaal FR, Heckbert SR. The relationship between exercise and risk of venous thrombosis in elderly people. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008;56(3):517-22. Epub 2008 Jan 4. PubMed

Marciante KD, Totah RA, Heckbert SR, Smith NL, Lemaitre RN, Lumley T, Rice KM, Hindorff LA, Bis JC, Hartman B, Psaty BM. Common variation in cytochrome P450 epoxygenase genes and the risk of incident nonfatal myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2008;18(6):535-543. PubMed

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Our major research interests

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