Research and Publications

Current Research Endeavors

by Kenna Stephenson MD, FAAFP

My passion for research began as an elementary student with science fairs, and throughout my education and career I have remained involved in clinical research.  My mentors taught me that scientific investigation is part the calling of being a physician, even though its demands of time, study and reflection may not be rewarded or recognized. Our duty to consider and investigate innovative approaches to prevention, detection or treatment of disease is part of the art of medicine, and it has been my privilege to be a part of numerous research endeavors.  I extend deepest gratitude to my collaborators, contributors, and research participants.

Principal Investigator, MADD: An international study of mood, mental status, and neuroendocrine/immune/inflammatory factors in persons aged 60 and older.

Principal Investigator, HEAT: Healthy elderly and psychosocial, behavioral, and neuroendocrine/immune/inflammatory factors in residents of a community living facility in Tucson, Arizona

Principal Investigator, HORIZON: A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of zoledronic acid in the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women taking calcium and vitamin D.

Principal Investigator, Cervical and breast cancer screening in underserved minority women: utilization and outcomes of providing care in non-traditional settings.

Principal Investigator, CHOIICE: A prospective, longitudinal study to evaluate clinical therapy of compounded bioidentical hormones in 30-70 year-old women, and effects on inflammatory, immune signaling and hemostatic factors; cardiovascular risk factors; cardiovascular events; quality of life measures, and mental health indices.

Co-Investigator, Anxiety, depression, and hormonal characteristics of women with COPD.

Publications

Stephenson K, Neuenschwander P, Kurdowska K, Pinson B, Price C. The effects of transdermal progesterone on thrombotic, anticoagulant, inflammatory, and neuroendocrine factors in postmenopausal women. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding.2008

Murray J, Soholt D, Reinert C, Groves M, Stephenson K, O'Very D. State of the Science of "Bio-identical" Hormones for Mid-Life Women. In press

Site PI for: Black DM, et al. Once-yearly Zoledronic acid for treatment
of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;356(18):1809-1823.

Stephenson, K., Jones, B., Stephenson, D. The role of drug promotion in hormone replacement therapy prescribing in the United States. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding. 2006;10(3):175-184.

Holt-Waldo N, Stephenson K. The lived experience of perimenopausal and menopausal women who take bioidentical hormones. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding. 2007;11(4):292-296.

Stephenson, K. The salivary hormone profile in the clinical evaluation of women. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding.2004;8(6):427-435.

Stephenson, K. Awakening Athena, Health, Heart, and Mind Institute, Tyler, TX. 2004.

Stephenson, K, Holiday D, Pinson B. Yoga for working women. East Texas Medicine.2004;2(1):11-18.

Stephenson, K.Compounding for whole family health.Rx Triad.2003;6 (15):1.
Stephenson, K., Hormone replacement therapy. Panhandle Health.1998;
Stephenson, K., Hormone replacement therapy. Panhandle Health.1998; 8(5):36-38.

Stephenson, K. Preventive medicine and managed care. Panhandle Health. 1997;7(4):38-39.

Stephenson, K.Guest Editorial. Panhandle Health.1997;7(4):5.
Stephenson, K.Preventive screening of healthy women. Panhandle Health.1993;4(2):31-34.

Earley, K.J. (Maiden Name), Blanco, J.D., Prien, S., Willis, D.Patient attitudes toward testing for maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein values when results are false positive or true negative. Southern Medical Journal.1991; 84(4):349-442.

Stephenson, K., Viken, R.Patient presents with hematemesis. Attending Physician East Texas Medicine.1991;3(2):36-41.

Tenner, T.E. Jr., Earley, K.J. , Young, J. Characterization of beta adrenoceptor subtypes in rabbit mononuclear leukocytes. European Journal of Pharmacology.1989;160:291-293.

Tenner, T.E. Jr., Young, J.A., Earley, K.J., Yen, Y.C. Functional characterization of beta adrenoceptor subtypes in rabbit right atria. Life Sciences. 1989;44:651-660.

Earley, K.J., Gunasegaram, S., Tenner, T.E. Jr. Determination of beta adrenoceptor density on rabbit mononuclear leukocytes. Journal of Pharmacologic Methods, 1988;19:193-203.

Tenner, T.E. Jr., Yen, Y.C., Earley, K.J. , Young, J. Reliability of rank order of potency in predicting beta adrenoceptor subtypes.Federal Proceedings .1988;47.

Abstracts

Stephenson K, Neuenschwander P, Kurdowska A, Olusola P, Townsend C, Stevens M, Stephenson J, Kinsey R, Zava D, Kapur S. Compounded transdermal hormone therapy and effects on hemostatic and immunologic factors in peri-and post-menopausal women. 2008 In press

Stephenson K, Neuenschwander P, Kurdowska A, Olusola P, Van Hook A, Kapur S, Zava D. A novel model of care to reduce inflammation and improve cardiometabolic measures in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2008;28(6):e-70.

Stephenson K, Kurdowska A, Neuenschwander P, Loewenstein I, Olusola P, Pinson B, Stephenson D, Kinsey R, Stephenson J, Stephenson J,  Kapur S, Zava D.Transdermal estradiol and progesterone improve mood indicators, quality of life, and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Circulation. 2007;115(8): Http://circ.ahajournals.org

Taskar V, Stephenson K, Coultas D. Is there a relationship between anxiety, depression, peripheral vascular disease and hormonal imbalance among women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? American College of Chest Physicians Annual Conference, October 2007.

Stephenson K, Price C, Neuenschwander P, Kurdowska A, et al, Topical progesterone cream does not increase thrombotic and inflammatory factors in postmenopausal women. Blood. 2004;104(11):414b-415b.

Stephenson, K., Biotouch: The role of touch in the therapeutic armamentarium. American Association of Integrative Medicine Annual Conference.2004;Chicago, IL.

Stephenson, K., Biotouch: Clinical Integration of an Energy Modality, American Association of Integrative Medicine Annual Conference, August 2003.

Stephenson, K., Sparks, T., Sand Tray Work in Patient Evaluation in a Primary Care Environment, Spirituality, and Healing & Health: First Biennial International Conference, April 1999.

Stephenson, K., Stephenson, D., Creating a Primary Care Center for Women Veterans, National Association of Veteran Affairs Ambulatory Managers, August 1997.

Earley, K.J., Blanco, J., Willis, D., Attitude Toward Maternal Serum Alpha-fetoprotein Testing in Patients with Abnormal and Normal Values, Society of Perinatologists and Obstetricians, February 1989.

Yen, Y.C., Young, J., Earley, K.J., Tenner, T.E. Jr., Characterization of Beta Adrenoceptors in the Rabbit Heart, Fifth Southeast Asia and Western Pacific Regional Meeting of Pharmacologists, July 1988.

Earley, K.J. , Tenner, T.E. Jr., Determination of Beta Adrenoceptor Subtypes on Rabbit Mononuclear