NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to take over as acting head of CDC
(WASHINGTON) — Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will take over as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a White House official and sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Bhattacharya will continue in his current duties as NIH director until a permanent CDC director is nominated and confirmed, according to the White House official.
He replaces Jim O’Neill, who served as acting director of the CDC from late August 2025 until he stepped down last week.
O’Neill will be nominated as the next head of the National Science Foundation, according to the White House official.
(NEW YORK) — High blood pressure and body mass index, or BMI, may be directly linked to the increased risk of developing vascular dementia, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
This is the strongest evidence to date showing a direct relationship between BMI and the increased risk of developing vascular dementia, a risk heavily influenced by elevated blood pressure, according to the study.
Researchers say these findings highlight how important reducing these risk factors are to help prevent this form of dementia and protect brain health.
The study’s findings show that being overweight and having high blood pressure “are direct causes of increased vascular dementia risk,” said Dr. Ruth Frikke-Schmidt, study co-author, chief physician at Copenhagen University Hospital — Rigshospitalet and clinical professor at University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
“That makes them highly actionable targets for dementia prevention at the population level,” Frikke-Schmidt told ABC News.
Vascular dementia is a type of dementia caused by damage to blood vessels that leads to reduced blood and oxygen to the brain, according to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute. The initial damage to blood vessels leading to this condition is often due to other underlying health problems such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, or diabetes.
Symptoms vary depending on the affected brain area but often include confusion, memory problems and difficulty with daily activities. There is no cure, making prevention key, experts say.
In the study, researchers analyzed data from large European populations across Copenhagen and the United Kingdom. Using analytical methods that mimic a randomized controlled trial, the researchers found that as BMI increased by approximately 4.5 points, the risk of vascular dementia rose across all BMIs, directly linking BMI to an increased risk of developing vascular dementia.
Additional analysis showed that elevated blood pressure, in association with BMI, directly contributed to increased risk of vascular dementia, adding to a growing body of evidence strongly linking cardiovascular health to brain function.
“What is good for the heart is good for the brain,” Frikke-Schmidt said.
BMI is a measure of a person’s body weight relative to their height. While doctors say the number should be taken in context with an individual’s overall health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes an ideal BMI as 18.5 to 24 for adults. Overweight and obesity are categorized as a BMI 25-29 and BMI 30 or greater, respectively.
Dr. Leah Croll, assistant professor of neurology at the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, told ABC News many dementia cases may be preventable, and this new research adds to evidence showing how important targeting risk factors like elevated BMI and cardiovascular disease are to preserving brain health.
“Dementia prevention is the wave of the future,” Croll said. Adding that it’s important to reinforce or develop habits to maintain a healthy weight and manage blood pressure through diet, exercise, and routine medical care.
While some people may be more motivated to lose weight, Croll said that blood pressure is a silent symptom that can be easier to ignore or may often go unnoticed.
“A paper like this really allows me to have conversations with my patients in the clinic where I can motivate them to stay on top of their blood pressure,” Croll said. “If you can stay on top of your blood pressure, that seems to significantly impact your brain health later on in life.”
Dr. Jennifer Miao, a board-certified cardiologist and ABC News Medical Unit fellow, told ABC News it’s important for people to monitor their blood pressure and should know how to measure it and know what the numbers mean.
“This can be done at a local pharmacy, urgent care or walk-in clinic, community health centers or by purchasing a blood pressure cuff to use at home,” Miao said.
Blood pressure contains two numbers — a systolic number on the top and a diastolic number on the bottom. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 on the top and less than 80 on the bottom, according to the American Heart Association.
“If left untreated, high blood pressure can have significant and harmful effects on overall health,” Miao said.
Camille Charles, DO, is a pediatric resident and member of the ABC News Medical Unit. Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a practicing physician, board-certified in pediatrics and general preventive medicine, and is a fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit.
(NEW YORK ) — Fewer people are dying from heart disease, but the condition is still the leading cause of death in the U.S., a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA) finds.
Although death rates from heart disease have dropped for the first time in the past five years, it still kills more Americans than any other condition, according to the report, published early Wednesday in the journal Circulation.
Annual heart disease deaths decreased by 2.7% between 2022 and 2023 — from 941,652 to 915,973, according to the report. However, cardiovascular disease still killed more people in the U.S. than cancer and accidents combined.
Deaths related to blockages in the coronary arteries, which are blood vessels that wrap around the heart’s surface, decreased by 5.9% from 371,506 to 349,470 over the same period, the report found.
Coronary artery disease often leads to a heart attack, with two people dying of coronary heart disease every three minutes, the report noted.
Other chronic conditions that damage blood vessels and increase risks for heart disease are also common among Americans, according to the report.
The percentage of U.S. adults with high blood pressure increased slightly to 47.3% while the rate of obesity decreased slightly to 50%, the report found. However, obesity is on the rise among the younger generation — increasing from 25.4% to 28.1% among those between ages 2 and 19, according to the report.
Prevention, including addressing risk factors, remains key in reducing heart disease deaths, Dr. Sadiya Khan, a board-certified cardiologist at Northwestern and vice chair of the volunteer committee behind the report, told ABC News.
“We cannot cure heart disease and so, if we wait until symptoms are present, we are left with trying to manage symptoms and treat, which saves lives but the yield of prevention is even greater,” she said.
There are four lifestyle behaviors and four health metrics essential for heart health, according to the AHA report. These include healthy eating, physical activity, sleeping well and quitting tobacco as well as controlling weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.
Addressing these eight factors could prevent up to 40% of heart disease deaths and lower the risk of developing major heart disease symptoms by up to 74%, according to a 2024 analysis from researchers in the Netherlands and Sweden.
Those same preventative measures have benefits beyond the heart, Khan pointed out. They can also help slow brain aging and lower the risk for dementia. Managing blood pressure is especially helpful against cognitive decline, she added.
Reducing cardiovascular disease in the U.S. could improve the health of not just the general public but also the health of the economy, Dr. Jennifer Miao, a board-certified Yale cardiologist and ABC Medical Unit fellow, told ABC News.
“We’re seeing an incredible financial burden of cardiovascular disease on the U.S. economy, with an estimated average of $414.7 billion in direct and indirect costs of treating cardiovascular disease from 2021 to 2022,” she said.
Despite the well-documented positive effects from good lifestyle habits, getting Americans to focus on their cardiovascular health has been an uphill battle, Khan said.
For example, only one in four US adults currently meet national guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise. Additionally, only 43.5% of Americans with type 2 diabetes have their condition under control, according to the report.
“Staying physically active and engaging in regular exercise routines to the best of your ability are day-to-day goals that can significantly impact your overall health,” Miao said. “Talk to your health care provider about any questions you might have on safe exercise plans and appropriate health screenings that are suited for you as an individual.”
In this May 13, 2025, file photo, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks at a press conference on the World Trade Center Health Program at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Congress has approved legislation for a funding fix that fully supports the World Trade Center Health Program and prevents a projected multibillion-dollar shortfall that threatened the program’s future.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., highlighted the action as a critical step toward protecting long-term care for those sickened by toxic exposure after the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program honors our promise to never forget 9/11 survivors and the brave first responders who put their lives on the line for our country,” Gillibrand said.
Since its creation in 2011 through an act of Congress, the program reports it has helped over 150,000 individuals get care and medical monitoring. Gillibrand said the package will fully fund the program through 2040.
The new measure updates how the program is financed, allowing it to meet rising medical costs and growing enrollment without the risk of sudden funding gaps.
Supporters say the change provides long-term stability for the thousands of people whose health was harmed by exposure to toxic chemicals after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
“Making sure our 9/11 first responders and survivors have the resources they need to cope with the long-term health effects from toxic exposure has been one of my top priorities for my entire service in Congress,” Gillibrand said. “I am relieved that, after years of fighting tirelessly for its passage, this funding has been signed into law.”
The World Trade Center Health Program provides medical monitoring and treatment for first responders, cleanup workers, and community members affected by 9/11-related exposure. Advocates stressed that stable funding is critical not only for current patients but also for people who may develop related illnesses years or decades later.
Doctors, responders, advocates, and survivors have long warned that the program faced a looming financial crisis.
Enrollment has continued to grow as more people develop cancers and chronic conditions linked to toxic dust and debris, while aging patients require more complex care, Benjamin Chevat, executive director for nonprofit Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act, told ABC News.
An outdated funding formula failed to reflect those realities, raising concerns that treatment could be delayed or limited, advocates cautioned.
Still, supporters say funding alone does not resolve all of the program’s challenges.
“Finally, fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program after so many years is a real accomplishment, for the 9/11 responders and survivors who walked the halls of Congress and called their representatives, and for Rep. Andrew Garbarino and Sen. Gillibrand among others who worked to get it done,” Chevat said.
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act is named after a New York City Police Department officer whose 2006 death was linked to exposures from the World Trade Center disaster.
Chevat said that some challenges remain for the program.
Certification of new conditions has slowed, staffing shortages persist at some clinical sites, and administrative backlogs have delayed care for certain patients, Chevat said. Addressing these issues will ensure the program can fully deliver on its mission, he added.
Dr. Joseph Wendt, a member of the ABC News Medical Unit, contributed to this report.
