A new study showed a greater prevalence of poor kidney health among young girls and women in Nicaragua than previously known, as this population is often excluded from CKDu research because they are rarely diagnosed with CKDu. Their elevated risk was also strongly associated with high body mass index levels, indicating elevated risk of metabolic kidney disease. While the researchers did identify poor kidney health among heat-exposed young males working in sugarcane fields, the majority of participants who exhibited higher poor kidney health did not work in heat-intensive environments. Both of these findings were unexpected.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) are calling for action to strengthen the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention following reports of significant staffing losses and operational strain at the agency. APIC and SHEA warn that reductions in scientific expertise are affecting the timely guidance, surveillance, and technical assistance healthcare facilities rely on to prevent infections and protect patients and healthcare personnel. The organizations urge Congress and the Administration to restore and sustain critical CDC staffing, protect the agency’s scientific independence, and ensure appropriated public health funds reach state and local partners promptly.

The position statement emphasizes that lifestyle medicine's six pillars–optimal nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, connectedness, and avoidance of risky substances––can benefit both individual and environmental health.

A core assumption in any democracy is that citizens with access to information will make reasoned decisions on political candidates and policy issues. But a new study by UC Berkeley social scientists finds that Americans usually don’t consider the full scope of difficult issues, instead basing their opinions on mental shortcuts that sidestep complexity. The paper offers striking insight into the differences in cognitive reasoning patterns among Americans. While some people in the study did closely analyze a range of issues before coming to an opinion, others did a quick back-of-the-napkin tally of plusses and minuses, or even more commonly based their opinions on just one factor, the authors found.