For the greater good of mankind - Major project will examine factors which cause common diseases

Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente research division are about to embark on one of the largest research projects in the United States.

The health insurer which is based in Oakland, California, is the largest not-for-profit managed care organization in the United States with 8.5 million health plan members, 148,884 employees, 12,879 physicians, 37 medical centers, 400 medical offices, and $31.1 billion in annual revenue.

The Kaiser Permanente research project aims to examine the genetic and environmental factors that influence common diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's disease, asthma and many others.

The researchers hope to discover which genes and environmental factors are linked to specific diseases and how they influence the risk of getting a disease or affect its severity or outcome.

The study will be the first in the United States since the Framingham Heart Study began in 1948 involving 5,000 men and women; data from that project has helped determine the risk factors and best treatments for heart disease ever since.

The Research Program will also include studies of genetic and non-genetic factors that affect how people respond to specific medications, including the occurrence of side effects.

According to the researchers almost all common diseases and health conditions are linked both to genetic and environmental factors, and understanding the critical interaction between genes and the environment on health will have an important impact on the way health and disease are viewed in the future.

The researchers believe the study could help to identify not only what diseases a person may be at risk for, but also how to reduce that risk, or how best to treat the disease.

As member participation is critical to the success of the study, Kaiser Permanente is inviting members to participate in a survey that will be the first step in building the research program.

Approximately 2 million adult members in Northern California will receive a survey by mail, asking questions about their background, health history, lifestyle and habits, and their family's medical history.

The researchers will then invite members to give a biological sample in the form of blood or saliva that can be used to obtain genetic information.

By combining the genetic, health, and survey information from hundreds of thousands of members into databases, researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of what combinations of genes and environmental factors influence the risk of complex diseases.

A unique aspect of the Kaiser study is that researchers will be able to tie population-based data directly with patient's medical records.

Participation in the study is voluntary and an individual's genetic information will not be used in genetic studies without their written consent.

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 the society at large.