Minority racial and ethnic groups get diabetes at lower weights
Kaiser Permanente research finds members of U.S. ethnic and racial minority groups have diabetes at lower body mass index than white patients.
Kaiser Permanente
Division of Research Spotlight
The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research conducts, publishes, and disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and society at large. We seek to understand the determinants of illness and well-being, and to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care. Currently, DOR’s 550-plus staff is working on more than 350 epidemiological and health services research projects.
How do patients’ genes affect their medication choice?
Analysis finds that neurological side effects from the anti-seizure medication phenytoin are more common in patients with certain genetic variants that were also associated with lower adherence to treatment, suggesting they may play a role in patients finding the right medication.
Kaiser Permanente program reduces opioid use for women delivering by C-section
Taking less pain medication, along with moving around sooner after the surgery, can allow women to recover more quickly and care for their newborns.
More women using cannabis daily before and during pregnancy, Kaiser Permanente research finds
The number of women using cannabis in the year before they get pregnant and early in their pregnancies is increasing, and their frequency of use is also rising, according to new data from Kaiser Permanente.
New study finds both components of blood pressure predict heart attack, stroke risk
“This research brings a large amount of data to bear on a basic question, and it gives such a clear answer,” said lead author Alexander C. Flint, MD, PhD, Kaiser Permanente stroke specialist and adjunct researcher with the Division of Research. “Every way you slice the data, the systolic and diastolic pressures are both important.”
Kaiser Permanente machine learning analysis of sepsis illustrates condition’s complexity
A new machine learning algorithm developed by Kaiser Permanente researchers reveals the complexity of sepsis by sorting patients into recognizable treatment subgroups.
Prediction tool could identify more patients at risk of getting HIV
Kaiser Permanente researchers have developed a new analytical tool that identifies people at risk of contracting HIV so they may be referred for preventive medication.
Lower surgical opioid dosage leads to less long-term use, Kaiser Permanente research finds
Surgical patients given less opioids and more alternative methods of pain control were less likely to continue using opioids 6 months to a year later, an analysis by Kaiser Permanente Northern California researchers finds.
Waning potency of pertussis vaccine a significant contributor to recent whooping cough outbreaks
Children who were up to date on their pertussis vaccine schedule were far less likely to develop the disease than those unvaccinated. The risk of vaccinated children becoming ill increased with time since vaccination, suggesting waning effectiveness.
Large study links genetic marker of aging to greater neighborhood deprivation
Genetics research suggests that longer telomeres — the “end caps” of DNA that keep strands of chromosomes from unraveling — mean more years of healthy life ahead.
