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Good morning. After much speculation, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary stepped down from his position yesterday. Kyle Diamantas, the agency’s top food regulator, will temporarily take over as acting commissioner. STAT’s Lizzy Lawrence has more on this development, while Matt Herper argues that Marty Makary was the least effective FDA commissioner in the past 25 years.
Bill Cassidy’s Dilemma
Marty Makary isn’t the only health policy figure in Washington potentially on the move. Louisiana’s physician-senator Bill Cassidy is facing a tough primary battle this Saturday, with President Trump backing one of his opponents.
“He could cure cancer, and he still could potentially lose the primary,” said local Republican leader Kelby Daigle to STAT’s Chelsea Cirruzzo and Daniel Payne. Cassidy, who has been a key figure in the GOP’s health reform efforts for nearly a decade, is now facing a major political challenge, risking his legacy. Regardless of the outcome, sources told STAT that Cassidy might struggle to regain his former stature as the political environment increasingly requires unwavering support for President Trump.
The senator’s future may hinge on two pivotal votes he cast in 2021 and 2025. To delve into Cassidy’s decision-making process, Chelsea and Daniel went to Louisiana and spoke with key figures in Cassidy’s circle. More insights are available in their detailed report.
Men Text 988 Less Frequently than Women
In 2025, the Crisis Text Line received 1.5 million messages, but less than 20% were from individuals identifying solely as male, according to a new report. The organization, which provides crisis support to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and globally, noted that this doesn’t imply men and boys need less help. The analysis revealed that one in three conversations with boys under 14 involved mention of suicide.
“Boys and men are socialized to equate self-reliance with strength and see help-seeking as a weakness,” stated Tracy Costigan, the report’s author. “This is really conformity to traditional masculine norms.” Annalisa Merelli from STAT provides further details on these findings.
RFK Jr.’s Stance on Antidepressants
Recently, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. introduced an initiative aimed at reducing the overprescription of psychiatric medications, including antidepressants.
Jonathan Slater, a clinical psychiatrist who has guided patients in tapering off antidepressants, describes the process as dynamic, individualized, and necessitating ongoing clinical judgment. He points out that deprescribing is often understudied, undertaught, and under-reimbursed. However, he criticizes Kennedy’s exaggerated claims, such as stating SSRIs are harder to quit than heroin.
“Kennedy’s initiative confuses the real clinical need with claims unsupported by evidence — and some that are actively dangerous,” Slater writes in a new First Opinion essay. More on the data surrounding deprescribing and expert opinions can be found in the full article.
Emerging Liver Crisis
At age 20, Stephen Silva-Brave became a father and paused his college education to work in the finance sector. Binge drinking became a part of his lifestyle, leading him to consume alcohol every night. He would stop at a gas station after work to buy a couple of Four Lokos, a notorious drink containing as much alcohol as five beers and double the sugar of a soda can.
“That could have had something to do with why I got cirrhosis so young,” said Silva-Brave, who suffered from late-stage liver disease by age 32. Besides drinking, he subsisted on highly processed snacks and 7-Eleven lunches, and led a sedentary lifestyle. Metabolic disease and alcohol are leading causes of liver disease, but data indicate the combination of the two is becoming a significant driver.
In the initial part of “The Deadliest Drug,” STAT’s Isabella Cueto and Lev Facher explored how alcohol is severely impacting Americans’ health. The following article, released today, examines the increasing risk of combining heavy drinking with existing metabolic diseases and poor diet. For more information on those at risk and how the situation unfolds, read the full story.
Extreme Heat Impacting Black Americans More Severely
Hospitalizations due to extreme heat are on the rise across the U.S. A study published on Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine shows that these rates are climbing faster for Black adults compared to their white counterparts. Furthermore, individuals residing in ZIP codes with the lowest average income are over twice as likely to be hospitalized for heat-related illnesses than those in wealthier areas.
Researchers examined data on adult hospitalizations for heat-related conditions from May to September annually, spanning 1998 to 2022. Initially, in 1998, Black individuals in many areas experienced similar hospitalization rates due to heat as their white neighbors. However, disparities have grown, particularly in the Midwest and West, where in 2022, over 80 Black individuals per million were hospitalized due to heat, compared to around 60 white individuals per million in the South and about 40 white individuals per million in the West.
As reported by Karen Pennar in 2023, emergency doctors are utilizing all available tools, such as ice and body bags, to prepare for a future of extreme heat. A First Opinion essay published today highlights the need for government assistance programs to better prioritize access to air conditioning.
What We’re Reading
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The close, prolonged contact myth, Atlantic
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How a legal challenge over gender dysphoria became a fight for disability rights, The 19th
- Drug meant to make gene therapy safer may also make it less effective, STAT
- Low wages, empty plates, heavy toll: Rethinking suicide prevention, KFF Health News
- Podcast: What can ‘blue zones’ really teach us about aging? STAT
What’s the word? Test your knowledge with today’s STAT Mini crossword.
