1) Covid-19 and other viruses. While readily available vaccines and antiviral treatments have paved the way for most Americans to return to pre-pandemic life, the “triple threat” of covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continues to challenge hospital capacities during peak season. Treatments remain underutilized, and uptake of the updated vaccine is still unacceptably low among the vulnerable — most notably nursing home residents.
Coronavirus variants will continue to emerge, and I expect federal health officials to authorize a new round of targeted vaccines next fall and to double down on distributing tools that reduce disease severity. I’ll report on these developments, as well as advances in understanding — and hopefully treating — long covid.
2) Climate change and health. The World Meteorological Organization declared 2023 to be Earth’s hottest year in recorded history. Americans are experiencing firsthand the myriad health impacts of climate change, from extreme heat to wildfire smoke.
I’ll keep reporting on the effect of the climate crisis on human health and possible solutions. For instance, the health-care sector itself is a major contributor to carbon emissions, but there have been commendable efforts to mitigate these consequences. I aim to find and share more inspiring stories in this space.
3) Mental health and substance addiction. Last year, I wrote about how social media is worsening depression among teenagers, as well as ongoing efforts, including legislation, to reverse this devastating trend. I’ll be following up on this topic.
The opioid epidemic also continues to rage, and while I commend the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to make the overdose antidote naloxone over-the-counter, policy change does not equate access. I’ll report on community-level efforts to make naloxone more affordable and available, as well as grass-roots work to address another growing mental health crisis: loneliness.
4) Gene therapy. The FDA recently approved two new therapies for sickle cell disease. This a major step forward to address a debilitating and severe disease affecting approximately 100,000 Americans and nearly 8 million people globally. One of the approved therapies is the first commercially available treatment based on the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR.
I have yet to write about this topic and look forward to speaking with experts and learning more about CRISPR’s other medical applications.
5) Obesity treatment. I expect more studies to come out on promising new obesity treatment drugs, known as GLP-1s, including head-to-head comparisons of the two approved medications, semaglutide and tirzepatide. These drugs are also being studied for other conditions, ranging from addiction to Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, there is mounting pressure on the federal government to cover the cost for Medicare beneficiaries. These deliberations will be among the most consequential in U.S. health policy.
6) Regulatory approvals. Federal officials are also expected make a number of high-profile regulatory decisions in 2024. The FDA could approve psychedelic drugs to treat severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. It could also follow the example set by California and ban certain food additives, such as brominated vegetable oil and the color additive Red No. 3.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is poised to make a key ruling that could limit access to the abortion medication mifepristone. All these decisions would have wide-ranging impacts on Americans’ health.
7) Medical technology. The artificial intelligence revolution in health care is here and growing by the day. Last year, I covered several notable AI tools that are already helping to make care safer. There are many more applications that I plan to write about. I’ll also follow up on the evolution of telemedicine post-pandemic and track emerging technologies such as wearable devices.
8) The health-care workforce. Well before the coronavirus pandemic, researchers were issuing dire predictions about health-care provider shortages. The problems are growing more acute as hospitals and nursing homes struggle with burnout and employee retention. How did we get here, and what can be done? I’ll be looking into this.
9) Public-health infrastructure. Similarly, state and local public health institutions struggled with resources pre-covid. In many health departments, conditions have worsened as a result of budget cuts and workforce shortages. I want to shed light on the consequences of underinvestment, such as the rise in sexually-transmitted infections and the decline in childhood immunizations.
10) Policies that broadly affect Americans’ well-being. Health is determined not just by the medical care that one receives, but also by other conditions in their life, including where they live and what food and educational resources they can access. I plan to return to these social determinants of health, such as the growing “food as medicine” movement and the interconnection between public health and public safety.
Finally, I want to feature you, our readers. Many of my columns are inspired by reader stories. I am also grateful to readers who offer their professional expertise. Last week’s column on nursing home vaccinations featured two leaders of nonprofit organizations, one of whom contacted me through the online submission form and another whose colleague did. Please write to me if you have personal or professional experiences to share in one of these 10 areas (or anything else). I’d love to learn from you.
Next week, I will be away. Expect to receive the next edition of The Checkup in your inbox the following week, on Jan. 18.
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