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Cautious optimism surrounding the new CDC director nomination
President Trump recently nominated Erica Schwartz to lead the CDC, a role that has often been filled on a temporary basis. A team of STAT reporters led by Helen Branswell has found that the nomination has been met with relief in the public health sector. One CDC employee described the mood among staff as “cautiously hopeful.”
However, there are questions about the potential influence of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Schwartz. As former CDC director Daniel Jernigan noted, “She could be terrible, she could be great. But it’s really: What is the secretary going to allow?”
Find out more about expert reactions to the nomination and their predictions.
Impacts of cannabis on adolescent brains
A study involving over 11,000 children and teenagers found that cannabis users showed slower development in memory, attention, language, and cognitive processing speed over time. Although the differences were sometimes minor, researchers suggest they could be significant. Cannabis users often had a cognitive edge at younger ages, only to be overtaken by non-users as they grew older.
This study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, utilized data from the NIH-supported Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, tracking youth from around age nine to 17. Cannabis use was self-reported and confirmed through biological testing.
In a related study published in JAMA Network Open, it was found that adolescent cannabis use rates rose following the legalization of recreational use in California, but dropped after the Covid pandemic.
Family safety measures during a measles outbreak
Since 2020, Penelope Gatlin and her family have significantly altered their lifestyle to safeguard her 13-year-old son, who has Okur-Chung neurodevelopment syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. Gatlin has stopped work travel and in-person meetings, and her husband has left his job entirely. The family continues to wear masks and maintain social distancing outdoors.
Now, they face the additional concern of a measles outbreak. Living in North Carolina, one of 32 states experiencing an outbreak, Gatlin writes, “The resurgence of measles is a threat to the health of every child, but for immunocompromised kids like mine, it is catastrophic.” Discover more about the family’s challenges with skepticism from friends and some healthcare professionals regarding their concerns about measles.
Expanding LGBTQ+ care through a nonprofit
Nikolas Indigo (pictured above with one of his chosen family fathers, Michael Bell) had to schedule appointments with four different surgeons over two years before successfully receiving top surgery in September. The first doctor disrespected him by using his incorrect name: “I did not like the vibe of that man, zero out of 10,” Indigo recounted. The next two could not accommodate his insurance. The fourth attempt succeeded, but required a trip to Atlanta from his home in Savannah, Ga.
“No matter how hard I tried, I could not do it on my own,” Indigo recalled about finding doctors for hormones and top surgery. Instead, he sought assistance from the Savannah Pride Center, a nonprofit where he now volunteers as a lead. I covered Indigo’s journey to top surgery, his work at the Pride Center, and his optimism despite ongoing political challenges for trans people. I also visited Savannah, attended the center’s second annual health summit, and enjoyed some delicious Southern cuisine. Read more.
‘We still have 3.6 million births a year, but the issue is teens and young adults.’
Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst at Fox News, described the decreasing birth rate among girls aged 15 to 19 as a “problem.” He is not alone in this perspective.
A First Opinion essay by researcher Riley J. Steiner argues that Siegel’s comments highlight how politicians and public health experts often attempt to control teenagers’ reproductive choices. While Siegel and others seemingly advocate for more teen pregnancies, Steiner suggests that efforts to reduce teen births stem from a similar impulse.
“Controlling teen fertility should not be a public health and policy goal,” she writes. Explore more about the history of teen pregnancy prevention and its impact on current discussions.
Controversial cancer study abstract at AACR
The headline caught my attention: “Eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains may increase the chance of early onset lung cancer,” as per new research from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, to be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting.
The claim is based on a survey of 187 patients diagnosed with lung cancer by age 50, most of whom had not smoked. The authors speculated that pesticides could be a factor.
However, external experts criticized the study’s methodology. Peter Shields, a medical oncologist at Ohio State University, noted that being lean is a known risk factor for lung cancer, which might explain the findings. Baptiste Leurent, a medical statistics professor at University College London, said, “Jumping to the conclusion that [healthier eating] could cause lung cancer is quite a stretch, let alone implicating pesticides.”
There’s still time left in the conference. For the latest updates, subscribe to STAT’s AACR in 30 Seconds newsletter. Also, check out the special report on KRAS inhibitors from yesterday.
What we’re reading
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Why scientists are nervous about fungi, NPR
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Ohio’s nursing homes are dumping patients at homeless shelters, Signal Ohio
- A pancreatic cancer expert on why Revolution Medicines’ study could ‘open up a new era’ of treatment, STAT
- After conversion therapy ruling, therapists torn on future of Texas’ gender care ban, Texas Tribune
- PBMs warn Trump’s proposal to disclose drug prices is illegal, STAT
