New U.S. dietary guidelines coming next month; more Americans dying before 65; when kidney tests disagree – Morning Medical Update

New U.S. dietary guidelines coming next month

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Trump administration will release updated U.S. Dietary Guidelines in December, with a focus on curbing obesity and chronic disease. Speaking at the White House, Kennedy said the revisions aim to “change the food culture” by influencing what’s served in schools, the military and other federal programs. Reuters has more.

"We're about to release dietary guidelines that are going to change the food culture in this country," Kennedy said. "We're releasing those in December."

More Americans dying before 65

Premature deaths among adults aged 18 to 64 rose 27% between 2012 and 2022, with Black Americans hit hardest, according to JAMA Health Forum. Researchers said deaths before Medicare eligibility are increasingly tied to chronic illness, economic stress and gaps in social policy — not just medical care. Black adults saw a 38% increase in premature deaths over the decade, compared with a 28% rise among White Americans. More from The Washington Post.

Kidney test mismatch signals higher risk

A study led by NYU Langone Health found that a large gap between creatinine- and cystatin C–based kidney function readings predicts greater risk for kidney failure, heart disease and death. Published in JAMA, the analysis of nearly 861,000 people showed more than one-third of hospitalized patients had cystatin C results at least 30% worse than creatinine-based measures. Researchers said measuring both biomarkers could catch kidney disease earlier, but cystatin C testing remains uncommon in many U.S. hospitals.