research

Federal judge stalled major ACIP changes

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A federal judge yesterday stalled major parts of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to remake American vaccine policy. The preliminary decision, while not final, says that Kennedy’s reconstitution of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and that group’s changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, were both likely illegal.

“There is a method to how these decisions historically have been made — a method scientific in nature and codified into law through procedural requirements,” Judge Brian E. Murphy wrote in the decision. “Unfortunately, the government has disregarded those methods and thereby undermined the integrity of its actions.” Read more about the decision and how it will affect the next ACIP meeting, which was scheduled to start tomorrow.

mental health

People want workplaces to do more on mental health

One in four people say they’ve at least considered quitting their job due to its impact on their mental health, according to a poll released today by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Out of more than 2,100 respondents, about half said they believe their company makes their mental health a priority. Some other interesting findings include:

• About 80% of respondents would like their workplace to offer training on mental health conditions, including on how to identify and respond to a crisis, managing stress and burnout, and what sort of resources the employer offers.
• Less than a third of the respondents receive mental health training at work. Those who do report feeling more supported by their manager and leadership than those who don’t. They’re also less likely to be worried about mental health stigma at work.
• Among respondents who are managers at their jobs, only 28% report that they received training to support conversations about mental health with their team.

heart health

Here’s who might not need to take blood pressure meds

It’s not every day that medical advice shifts toward less medication, but a research letter out yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine says just that. An analysis of 2025 hypertension guidelines concludes that 11% of people 65 to 79 years old with stage 1 hypertension (130-139 mm/Hg for the top number or 80-90mm/Hg for the bottom) don’t need blood pressure pills if their risk is otherwise low.

The update considers not just age, but also risk gleaned from the new PREVENT risk calculator. National health survey data from 2013 to 2020 revealed the people who would no longer qualify for medication were typically female nonsmokers in their mid‑60s with otherwise low cardiovascular risk scores.

Those same PREVENT risk equations are the cornerstone of guidelines issued last week lowering the age when lipid-lowering treatment might start. Like blood pressure medications, statins are considered underused. When they were first shown to drastically reduce heart attacks and strokes, some jokingly suggested adding them to the water. Decades later, when fluoridated water is under attack, that’s a non-starter.

Now momentum has shifted away from one-size-fits-all. Or, as the researchers wrote, “Our findings among older adults underscore the guideline shift toward personalized, risk-based care.” — Elizabeth Cooney