Progress in addressing chronic disease mortality in the U.S. is stalling, according to a study published Sept. 10 in The Lancet.
While noncommunicable disease mortality declined in all high-income western countries between 2010 and 2019, the U.S. experienced the smallest decline.
The probability of dying from a non-communicable disease actually increased for U.S. adults ages 20 to 45, according to a Sept. 10 report from The New York Times.
The study was released the same week HHS’ Make America Healthy Again Commission published its report on chronic disease and children’s health. The report, which focused heavily on environmental chemicals, ultra-processed foods, screen time, “overmedicalization,” vaccine-related injuries and autism.
The report’s discussion of expanding the National Institutes of Health’s research capabilities on chronic disease prevention comes at a time when federal agencies, including the NIH and HHS, have enacted sweeping layoffs and consolidated several research subagencies.
“President Trump’s [fiscal] 2026 budget targets the CDC division that’s focused on preventing chronic diseases for elimination in,” according to a Sept. 10 report from NPR. “This includes the office that deals with smoking, a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and some cancers.”
Read the full study here.
