Nearly half of U.S. adults — 122.4 million people — are living with high blood pressure (BP), a leading preventable risk factor for heart disease, stroke and premature death, according to the 2025 American Heart Association Statistical Update. 

The CDC, on behalf of the U.S. Public Health Service, has released the 2025 Guidelines for managing occupational exposure to HIV and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE), the journal of SHEA. Key updates include new well-tolerated PEP regimens, shortened follow-up HIV testing, the removal of routine toxicity labs when baseline results are normal and no symptoms arise, and guidance for exposures involving undetectable source viral load or healthcare personnel already on PrEP. The guidelines emphasize rapid evaluation and initiation of PEP while streamlining follow-up; full text: https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2025.10254

Experiencing intense anxiety, lethargy, irritability, or sadness can be debilitating when trying to accomplish a simple task. For the task as monumental as caring for a baby, these symptoms of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect one in five mothers, many who feel unsupported.

In a new study, researchers surveyed hundreds of caregivers across the US about their mental health; networks of support; and experiences with caregiving, the healthcare system, and the workplace. They found that caregivers broadly experienced a lack of support in terms of PMAD screenings and mental healthcare, access to specialists, a lack of familial support, and inadequate paid leave.

Feeding blueberries to infants as one of their first solid foods may help strengthen their immune systems, reduce allergy symptoms and support healthy gut development, according to new research from the University of Colorado Anschutz. Published in Nutrients and Frontiers in Nutrition, the study is the first of its kind to rigorously test the effects of a specific food, blueberries, on infant health using a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. 

Key findings include:

Improved allergy symptoms in infants who consumed blueberry powder (symptoms were pre-existing and not caused by blueberries). Reduced inflammation and signs of a stronger immune response. Positive shifts in gut microbiota, with changes considered beneficial for immune health.

The American Heart Association’s IMPLEMENT-EF program aims to reduce gaps in patient care, establish best practices for treating heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction

An international team of researchers led by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark has pinpointed some of the reasons why obesity does not affect everyone in the same way. Their study, published today in Nature Medicine, identifies genetic differences that help explain why some people with obesity remain relatively healthy while others develop serious conditions like diabetes and heart disease.