Chicago’s average life expectancy bounced back to 78.7 years in 2023, nearly hitting its prepandemic peak — though large gaps remain between races and neighborhoods, according to the city health department. [Chicago Tribune]

City health officials attributed the overall improvement to a drop in COVID-19 deaths, after leaving the worst years of the pandemic behind, as well as fewer people dying early from chronic diseases. 

(Photo credit: Alyssa Pointer/Chicago Tribune)

The highest average life expectancy ever recorded in Chicago was 78.8 years in 2019, according to the health department. In 2020, that number plummeted to 75.2 as Chicago and the nation grappled with the devastation of COVID-19.

“Nearly eliminating COVID-19 deaths, once the largest driver of the racial life expectancy gap, has been key,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige, in a news release. Ige also cited a reduction in deaths from heart disease, diabetes, cancer and homicide, especially among Black Chicagoans.

The new data comes after the city health department announced a plan late last year aimed at addressing life expectancy gaps in Chicago.

Large disparities have long existed between the life expectancies of Black Chicagoans and other city residents — gaps that city health officials have attributed to long-term disinvestment in predominantly Black neighborhoods and systemic racism. Factors such as access to health care, education, nutritious food, neighborhood safety, environmental conditions, employment, physical activity and stable housing can contribute to life expectancy.

The situation improved slightly in 2023, with the gap between Black and white Chicagoans narrowing from 11.4 years to 10.6 years.

In 2023, Black Chicagoans had an average life expectancy of 71.8 years; white Chicagoans had an average life expectancy of 81.3 years; Latino Chicagoans had an average life expectancy of 82.7 years; and Asian and Pacific Islander Chicagoans had an average life expectancy of 86.8 years.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today announced the seizure of 4.7 million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products with an estimated retail value of $86.5 million – the largest-ever seizure of this kind. The seizures were part of a joint federal operation in Chicago to examine incoming shipments and prevent illegal e-cigarettes from entering the country.

Almost all the illegal shipments uncovered by the operation originated in China. FDA and CBP personnel determined that many of these shipments contained vague and misleading product descriptions with incorrect values, in an apparent attempt to evade duties and the review of products for import safety concerns.

"We will never allow foreign actors to threaten the health of America's children," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. "Today we took decisive action to protect kids from illegal vape products. Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for their leadership in helping us shut down this black market."

"The FDA and our federal partners are taking strong actions to shore up America's borders and stop the flow of illegal vaping products into our country," said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H. "Americans – especially our children – should not be using potentially dangerous, addicting products that have been snuck into the U.S. If a product has not been authorized by the FDA, CBP will seize, detain or destroy it."

This enforcement action is part of the FDA's broader aggressive strategy against childhood vaping. Additional activities include ending the practice of "port shopping," by which illegal products repeatedly try to enter the United States; addressing the distribution networks of illegal e-cigarette products; educating parents about dangers of vaping; and working with store owners nationwide to prevent the sale of illegal products.

The seizures represent coordinated compliance and enforcement efforts by multiple federal agencies working together to stop the distribution and sale of illegal e-cigarettes. Prior to this operation, the joint FDA and CBP team conducted investigative work to identify potentially non-compliant incoming shipments. The team was also able to successfully improve the efficiency of the review and processing, building off previous operations.

In total this year, the FDA and CBP have stopped more than 6 million unauthorized e-cigarettes worth over $120 million from entering the country.

All e-cigarette products seized in this operation lacked the mandatory premarket authorization orders from the FDA and therefore cannot be legally marketed or distributed in the U.S. To date, the FDA has authorized 39 e-cigarette products and devices; these are the only e-cigarette products that can be legally marketed and sold in the U.S. To find a list of tobacco products that may be legally marketed and sold in the U.S., visit the FDA's Searchable Tobacco Products Database.

In addition to the product seizures, the FDA contacted 37 importers and import entry filers regarding their actions. These firms were responsible for importing these illegal e-cigarettes and were advised that it is a federal crime to make false statements or entries to the U.S. government. The FDA reminded the firms of their responsibility to ensure the products they import comply with U.S. requirements and that their import entries must contain complete and accurate information moving forward. The FDA requested the firms to respond to the letters within 30 days with the requested information.

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Skillful clinicians incorporate the best available evidence in the care of their patients. This is no small feat, given the rapidly changing landscape for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of many health conditions, along with evidence that highlights the importance of personalizing treatments of many health conditions based on the specific patient and health condition. One aspect of personalization that doesn’t require sophisticated testing is simply incorporating sex-based evidence in clinical care. There are many differences between men and women that are easy to recognize. There are many other differences that are just beginning to be appreciated across the full spectrum of health care. Rigorous studies that evaluate genetic and physiologic attributes are increasing the available evidence that clinicians can incorporate directly into patient care. [JAMA Network]

The term women’s health gained popularity in response to the well-documented research funding gaps for health conditions that affect women exclusively, predominantly, or disproportionately. Due to resulting knowledge gaps, clinicians using the best available evidence may not have information that reflect sex-based differences. Over time, “women’s health” has been thought of as a proxy for reproductive health, menopause, and breast cancer. Yet women’s health is everywhere, spanning all of health care for women. Evidence of sex-based differences is accumulating in virtually every specialty, and JAMA and the JAMA Network journals are publishing a growing number of impactful original research studies highlighting these differences. The more we learn, the more we recognize the gaps in our sex-based knowledge.

JAMA enthusiastically launches JAMA+ Women’s Health as a curated source of trusted clinical information to help clinicians advance health care for women worldwide (jamanetwork.com/channels/womens-health). With this launch, JAMA elevates its commitment to women’s health and seeks to publish even more original research, policy, and opinion articles. JAMA+ Women’s Health will make scholarly content discoverable for busy clinicians who are interested in the latest evidence and guidance for patient care. Engaging multimedia and graphics will augment these articles.

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Illinois Department of Public Health officials said Thursday they are exploring multistate collaborations to coordinate public health guidelines separate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Health News Illinois]

Matt Smith, IDPH's chief policy officer, said during Thursday's State Board of Health meeting that they have held conversations with other states in the Midwest and on both coasts to learn about their current guideline frameworks and how they plan to work with other states.

“(Then we’ll look) more regionally to see if there are  opportunities for collaboration going forward as well,” he said.

The governors of California, Washington and Oregon announced [1] this week they will form a West Coast Health Alliance to coordinate public health guidelines separate from federal policy.

The move comes a week after the White House ousted the CDC Director, Dr. Susan Monarez, after clashing with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. on vaccine policy. Four top agency leaders promptly announced their resignations in solidarity.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said last week [2] that the agency will look to establish its own guidelines for who should receive COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations for the coming fall respiratory season.

He said the agency will consider guidance from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — though he noted that its members were fired and replaced earlier this year by Kennedy allies who have raised concerns about vaccine safety.

The Food and Drug Administration has narrowly [3] approved the COVID-19 vaccines for people over 65 and those with a high-risk medical condition who consult with doctors.

Dr. Jennifer Seo, the agency's pediatric medicine medical advisor, said they have been looking at several avenues to ensure Illinois families have access to vaccines.

She noted the “vast majority” of school-required immunizations are not tied to the federal advisory committee recommendations, but further conversations may be needed to “ensure that evidence-based immunizations remain accessible to Illinoisans.”  

Seo said conversations are also ongoing with the state’s health insurers on vaccine coverage and how they'll handle federal recommendations in addition to those of professional associations and
other medical groups.

Other conversations are happening with pharmacy groups to address any barriers to their providing vaccines to those who request them.

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A Salmonella outbreak linked to certain home delivery meals from Metabolic Meals has sickened more than a dozen people across 10 states, and seven had to be hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. [CBS and KFF Health News]

The meals were made by and delivered by the Metabolic Meals company during the week of July 28 and included these varieties: 

• Four cheese tortellini with pesto sauce and grilled chicken — Lot Code: 25199; Best By: 08/07/2025.
• Low carb chicken teriyaki and vegetables — Lot Code: 25202; Best By: 08/05/2025.
• Black garlic and ranch chicken tenders with roasted vegetables — Lot Code: 25205; Best By: 08/08/2025.
• Sliced top sirloin with roasted peanut sauce and summer vegetables — Lot Code: 25203; Best By: 08/06/2025.
• Additional meal lot codes: 25199, 25202, 25203, 25204, 25205.

People sickened lived in California, Missouri, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Washington state, the CDC said.

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Cook County health officials on Wednesday launched a new campaign to help local groups learn more about naloxone and how to acquire free doses. [Health News Illinois]

The campaign includes marketing, billboards and community posters with information on naloxone usage and free distribution sites.

“It’s important people know what naloxone is, how to use it, and where to get it free in suburban Cook County,” said Cook County Department of Public Health Chief Operating Officer Dr. Kiran Joshi. “We all know to ‘stop, drop and roll’ if we see fire. Now we want people to know to ‘lay, spray and stay’ if they see an overdose.”

The campaign comes as Cook County and the nation have seen a decline in opioid-related deaths. 

Preliminary data from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office found 276 opioid-related deaths last year, compared to 456 in 2023.

But officials said disparities remain in those affected, with Black residents making up 35.6 percent of opioid-related deaths in 2023, compared to 47.2 percent being white residents. Hispanic residents made up 15.6 percent of deaths.

“Disinvested communities are especially vulnerable due to a lack of resources,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “Having naloxone in every community is essential to saving lives, no matter what ZIP code you live in.”

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Introduction

Community engagement is foundational to building community-academic partnerships. Understanding successful strategies for building and maintaining trust in community-academic partnerships can help inform how these partnerships facilitate increased vaccine confidence and demand. [Science Direct]

Methods

The Vaccine Confidence Network (VCN) process evaluation collected progress and performance data on Prevention Research Centers' (PRCs) work to identify barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination, increase vaccine confidence and demand in populations of focus, and engage communities. Data were collected mid-cycle (November 2021) and at cycle end (December 2022). Qualitative data were also collected from July–August 2023 for a Community Engagement (CE) study via role-specific interviews with long-standing members of PRC Community Advisory Boards (CABs) and PRC Principal Investigators about creating and nurturing partnerships, trust, and COVID-19 readiness to respond.

Results

Key strategies reported by CABs and PRC investigators for building and maintaining trust in community-academic partnerships included frequent and transparent communication, active engagement of CABs in PRCs' research, ensuring partnerships are bi-directional and mutually beneficial, and investing in relationship building, including long-term commitments with partner organizations. Reported barriers to building trust included historical distrust of academic partners, competing priorities, short funding cycles, and lack of community compensation. Due to longstanding community partnerships, PRCs were seen as reliable sources of COVID-19 information in their communities and were able to help increase vaccine confidence and demand for COVID-19 vaccines through community engagement. They used a variety of strategies, including collaborative intervention development, dissemination of information through trusted messengers, and developing culturally appropriate messaging.

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More than 1 billion people are living with mental health conditions worldwide, with anxiety and depression driving the second-leading cause of long-term disability, according to two World Health Organization reports. The findings were published in  “World mental health today” and “Mental Health Atlas 2024,” and the organization underscored an urgent need for increased investment, legal reform and systemic change. [Becker's Behavioral Health ]

Here are six things to know:

1. More than 1 billion people live with mental health disorders, which are highly prevalent across all countries and income levels, according to a Sept. 2 news release from the WHO. 
2. Depression and anxiety cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion annually, largely due to lost productivity, according to the reports.
3. Suicide remains the leading cause of death among young people. At current rates, global efforts are projected to reduce suicide mortality by 12% by 2030, short of the U.N. goal of 33%.
4. Median government spending on mental health has stagnated at 2% of total health budgets since 2017. Low-income countries spend as little as 4 cents per person, compared to $65 in high-income nations.
5. The global median number of mental health workers stands at 13 per 100,000 people, with stark shortages in low- and middle-income countries.
6. Fewer than 10% of countries have fully adopted community-based care. Inpatient psychiatric care remains common, with high rates of involuntary admission and long stays, the reports said. 

1 in 7 adolescents face a mental health disorder: WHO report

World Health Organization report underscores the urgent and growing behavioral health needs of adolescents worldwide. 

The organization’s report, published Sept. 1, found rising rates of depression and anxiety, as well as suicide, substance use and eating disorders to be the most prevalent mental health challenges among younger demographics.

Here are eight key takeaways:

1. One in seven adolescents faces a mental health condition. Globally, about 14% of 10- to 19-year-olds live with a mental health condition, making up 15% of the disease burden in this age group. 
2. Depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders are among the most common conditions. 
3. Suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death for ages 15-29. Risk factors include harmful alcohol use, childhood trauma, stigma around seeking help, limited access to care and the availability of lethal means. 
4. Risks extend far beyond adolescence. Unaddressed mental health challenges can impair physical health, limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives into adulthood.
5. Vulnerable groups face higher risks. Adolescents living in humanitarian and fragile settings or marginalized communities, as well as those with chronic illness or neurological conditions, experience heightened exposure to stigma, exclusion and barriers to care. 
6. Though less common than other mental health conditions, eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa often begin in adolescence and carry one of the highest mortality rates of any mental health disorder. 
7. Substance use starts young. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use often take root in the teenage years, with harmful patterns persisting into adulthood. WHO data shows 22% of 15- to 19-year-olds reported alcohol use in 2019. 
8. Prevention works best in schools and communities. Protective environments — such as social care settings, in classrooms and across digital platforms — play a critical role in reducing stigma, promoting resilience and deterring risk behaviors. 

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In this issue of JAMA Cardiology, Johansen and colleagues¹ report findings from a prespecified secondary analysis of the DANFLU-2 pragmatic randomized clinical trial² comparing the efficacy of standard- and high-dose (HD) inactivated influenza vaccine. Because of its enormous statistical power and the application of methods that only until recently were technically impracticable, this trial deserves consideration in a broader context than the specific comparison of the effects of 2 vaccine dosages on a specific virus. I hope this study points the way toward a future in which we have much more robust evidence to evaluate vaccines and other therapies intended for broad segments of the population. [JAMA]

The trial’s main finding is that there was no significant difference in the primary clinical outcome of hospitalization for influenza or pneumonia between the HD and standard-dose influenza vaccinations. However, a small difference was observed in rates of cardiovascular events that favored the HD vaccine. The question of how to parse these findings depends on fundamental clinical and statistical factors that frequently cause controversies in trial interpretation.

The clinical and public health question addressed here by Johansen et al is a secondary hypothesis. According to the DANFLU-2 trial’s statistical analysis plan, a hierarchical statistical analysis was prescribed, in which secondary hypotheses could not be formally tested if the primary end point did not meet the prespecified criteria for significance.

A purist could assert that given the lack of significant difference observed for the primary end point, any further analyses would be descriptive and hypothesis generating. However, others might argue that it is reasonable to consider circumstances and prior knowledge and allocate further statistical weight to secondary outcomes of interest. All of this evokes the well-known colloquialism “to P or not to P” discussed in detail by the American Statistical Association.³ In this case, the JAMA Cardiology editorial staff and reviewers chose “not to P,” so the article reports point estimates and confidence intervals for outcomes of interest.

An additional issue is the small magnitude of the estimated benefit. Another pithy colloquialism pertains here: “A difference, to be a difference, must make a difference.” If one accepts that trial results are a good predictor of what will happen in practice, the differences are on the order of 762 people vaccinated with the HD formulation to prevent 1 cardiorespiratory hospital admission.

At the core of this argument is the minimally important clinical or public health difference: how many adverse outcomes per unit of population would need to be prevented to cause a change in practice? The authors point out that given the universal issue of influenza vaccine, use of the HD version could prevent 1 million hospitalizations per year. In a practical sense, I see this result as tipping the balance, given the prior data—influenza vaccination per se has been shown to reduce cardiopulmonary hospitalizations. The HD version confers a small but measurable benefit and yields a more robust immune response against the virus. On the other hand, the differences are small enough that they are unlikely to drive required changes in public health practice if the costs are significantly higher than the standard-dose version.

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A growing number of hospitals and health systems have expanded their C-suite ranks in the last few years to include leaders dedicated to advancing maternal and infant health, reflecting a new level of urgency as hospitals work to address longstanding disparities in outcomes and prepare for a projected rise in high-risk pregnancies. [ Beckers Health Review] 

Leaders in newly created roles are charged with developing strategies to expand access to high-quality obstetrical care and building partnerships with community providers to better coordinate care for new and expecting mothers.

This comes as the nation’s maternal death rate remains among the highest of any developed country, with more than 800 women dying each year from pregnancy-related causes, according to March of Dimes’ latest annual report card on maternal and infant health. In 2022, the U.S. recorded 22 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, down from a peak during the pandemic though still higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 20 in 2019. Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at rates more than double those of white women, according to the data. 

Most recently on Aug. 18, NYC Health + Hospitals appointed Wendy Wilcox, MD — a prominent expert in maternal mortality — as chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Woodhull Hospital in New York City’s Brooklyn borough. She was also appointed as the system’s inaugural chief women’s health officer in 2021. In her expanded role, she will oversee the growth of labor and delivery services at Woodhull while continuing to lead systemwide initiatives, including programs that connect pregnant patients with social workers and support services, and efforts to expand postpartum and cardio-obstetric care.

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