Thousands of health workers lost their jobs this week after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for the Trump administration to move forward with major staffing cuts. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized 10,000 layoffs across federal health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The New York Times reported. The layoffs followed a March announcement by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called for a major department overhaul. The affected workers included staff responsible for travel logistics, communication, medical research contracts and other related tasks. “Thank you for your service to the American people,” said an email sent to workers as they were removed from the payroll. Some employees who received layoff notices April 1 first learned they were let go when their building access badges stopped working. But many people still remained officially on the payroll until 5 p.m. Monday, when the high court allowed the administration to move forward, even as legal challenges continue, The Times said. While the administration called many of the jobs “redundant,” critics liken the cuts to having doctors but no support staff in a hospital. “What I have seen is some of the very best people, people who have alternatives, who have…  read on >  read on >

Thousands of health workers lost their jobs this week after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for the Trump administration to move forward with major staffing cuts. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized 10,000 layoffs across federal health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The New York Times reported. The layoffs followed a March announcement by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who called for a major department overhaul.  The affected workers included staff responsible for travel logistics, communication, medical research contracts and other related tasks. “Thank you for your service to the American people,” said an email sent to workers as they were removed from the payroll. Some employees who received layoff notices April 1 first learned they were let go when their building access badges stopped working. But many folks still remained officially on the payroll until 5 p.m. Monday, when the high court allowed the administration to move forward, even as legal challenges continue, The Times said. While the administration called many of the jobs “redundant,” critics liken the cuts to having doctors but no support staff in a hospital. “What I have seen is some of the very best people, people who have alternatives, who have…  read on >  read on >

Doctors are regularly overlooking a common hormone-driven cause of high blood pressure, a new paper warns. As many as 30% of high blood pressure patients seen by heart specialists and 14% of those seen in primary care have a condition called primary aldosteronism, researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Despite this, many are never given a blood test for the condition, in which the adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone aldosterone, researchers said. Others are tested years after their initial diagnosis with high blood pressure. By that time, the condition has caused severe health complications, researchers added. “People with primary aldosteronism face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those with primary hypertension,” said lead author Dr. Gail Adler, an endocrinologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “With a low-cost blood test, we could identify more people who have primary aldosteronism and ensure they receive the proper treatment for the condition,” she added in a news release. Aldosterone helps balance blood levels of sodium and potassium, researchers said. Levels that are too high can cause people to lose potassium while retaining more sodium, resulting in increased blood pressure. Research has shown that people with primary aldosteronism are nearly 2.6 times more likely to have a stroke; twice as likely to have heart failure; 3.5 times more likely to…  read on >  read on >

Doctors are regularly overlooking a common hormone-driven cause of high blood pressure, a new paper warns. As many as 30% of high blood pressure patients seen by heart specialists and 14% of those seen in primary care have a condition called primary aldosteronism, researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Despite this, many are never given a blood test for the condition, in which the adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone aldosterone, researchers said. Others are tested years after their initial diagnosis with high blood pressure. By that time, the condition has caused severe health complications, researchers added. “People with primary aldosteronism face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those with primary hypertension,” said lead author Dr. Gail Adler, an endocrinologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “With a low-cost blood test, we could identify more people who have primary aldosteronism and ensure they receive the proper treatment for the condition,” she added in a news release. Aldosterone helps balance blood levels of sodium and potassium, researchers said. Levels that are too high can cause people to lose potassium while retaining more sodium, resulting in increased blood pressure. Research has shown that people with primary aldosteronism are nearly 2.6 times more likely to have a stroke; twice as likely to have heart failure; 3.5 times more likely to…  read on >  read on >