A weekly roundup of public health news
Layoffs, up 50% in U.S., linked to higher risk of early death
Being laid off from a job increases the risk workers will die early, a new study shows.
Published April 16 in the American Journal of Public Health, the research looked at data on more than 7,200 U.S. workers across three decades, finding that nearly a third experienced at least one layoff during adulthood.
Workers who were laid off even once faced a higher risk of early death compared with those who were never laid off, the study found. Experiencing one layoff was linked to a 23% higher risk of dying before age 65, while experiencing two or more layoffs was associated with about a 30% higher risk.
Layoffs are common in the U.S., with millions of workers losing their jobs in recent years. About 1.1 million Americans were laid off in 2025 alone, a more than 50% jump from the previous year. Among those were tens of thousands of federal workers laid off by the Trump administration, including public health workers at leading agencies.
Some major companies, including Amazon, UPS, Oracle and Meta, have announced widespread layoffs this year, affecting thousands of workers.
Previous research has linked layoffs to anxiety, depression, heart disease and other health risks. The new findings suggest the cumulative effect of layoffs over time may be particularly harmful.
Several factors could help explain the linkage, researchers said. Losing a job can mean losing health insurance and access to care, as well as income, which can lead to delayed treatment, skipped medications and other unmet medical needs. Layoffs can also cause long-term stress and financial strain, which may contribute to unhealthy behaviors such as heavy drinking.
Report: Better high blood pressure care could prevent maternal deaths
Hundreds of women die from pregnancy-related cardiovascular conditions each year in the U.S., and most of those deaths are preventable. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says taking basic actions can save lives.
U.S. health care systems and workers should immediately prioritize lowering high blood pressure during pregnancy and strengthening postpartum care through home blood pressure monitoring and clinical follow-up, the report said. Both approaches have been shown to reduce serious complications and improve blood pressure control during and after pregnancy and would go a long way toward preventing deaths.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of pregnancy-related death and a major driver of the nation’s maternal mortality crisis. Among the more than 660 women who died of maternal causes in 2024, cardiovascular disease was the leading contributor. Problems related to high blood pressure — such as preeclampsia — are among the most common drivers.
About 57% of pregnancy-related deaths happen between one week and one year after giving birth. Despite those known risks, care often drops off in the weeks after a woman gives birth. Blood pressure levels typically peak within the first week after delivery, but many women do not receive timely follow-up care.
In addition, preventive care for pregnant women is often fragmented, researchers said. Women may lose insurance coverage, face barriers such as transportation or childcare, or face gaps as care shifts from obstetric providers to primary care. Such disruptions can delay diagnosis and treatment during a critical period.
The report, which was requested by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shared a dozen recommendations. The authors called for changes to the U.S. health care system, including improving access to care before, during and after pregnancy; strengthening coordination among providers; and extending support across the reproductive life course. Expanding telehealth and community-based services could also help close gaps in care, they said.
Nitrate pollution commonly detected in U.S. drinking water
Millions of people in the U.S. may be drinking tap water contaminated with an agricultural chemical that has been linked to cancer and birth defects, a new analysis finds.
Released April 23 by the Environmental Working Group, the report estimates that about 20% of Americans use water from systems with elevated levels of nitrate, a common fertilizer used in farming.
Nitrate levels of at least 3 milligrams per liter were detected at least once from 2021 to 2023 in more than 6,100 community water systems, the researchers found. That level is below the current federal legal limit, but regulators consider it a sign of human-caused contamination. In total, about 62 million people were served by those systems, according to the analysis.
But some people were exposed to even higher levels. About 38 million people used water with nitrate levels at or above 5 milligrams per liter — a range linked to health harms — while more than 3 million people received water exceeding the federal limit of 10 milligrams per liter, the report found.
Nitrate typically enters water supplies through fertilizer runoff and manure from farms, as well as wastewater and septic systems. Once it reaches groundwater or rivers, it is difficult and costly to remove.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s current nitrate limit of 10 milligrams per liter is based on a standard created in 1962. But a growing body of research suggests health risks occur at much lower levels. Studies have linked long-term nitrate exposure to colorectal cancer, thyroid disease and birth defects, including neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
While contamination is often associated with rural areas, large systems serving cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Philadelphia also reported elevated nitrate levels, according to the analysis.
Other recent public health news of note:
• Construction workers who work on drilling or cutting may be unknowingly absorbing tiny silica particles into their bodies, a new study in Occupational and Environmental Medicine finds. Researchers recreated common construction tasks such as cutting concrete and granite, finding they released large amounts of ultrafine silica dust. The smallest particles were produced when cutting dense materials. Analysis of lymph nodes from construction workers undergoing lung cancer surgery found similar silica nanoparticles in most samples.
• Climate change isn’t keeping most people from moving to or living in places in the U.S. with high heat, recent findings in Sustainability show. Researchers found migration patterns are driven more by jobs, housing costs and quality of life than by temperature alone. However, rising heat is linked to residents moving away from higher-poverty counties, suggesting vulnerable people may be more likely to relocate because of climate stress.
• Even with health insurance, many low-income people struggle to afford mental health care, according to a new study in Community Mental Health Journal. Low-income adults enrolled in Medicaid report the highest rates of poor mental health, the research found. Among those with poor health, 13% of Medicaid enrollees and 22% of privately insured adults said they could not afford mental health care in 2023.
The Watch is written by Michele Late, who has more than two decades of experience as a public health journalist. two decades of experience as a public health journalist.