NIHs CARE for Health Primary Care Research Network: Connecting the Lab, the Clinic, and the Community

Posted onOctober 8th, 2024byDr. Monica M. Bertagnolli

Since I became NIH Director last year, one key principle has guided my vision and approach: Our work is not finished when we deliver scientific discoveries; our work is finished when all people are living long and healthy lives.

But unfortunately, were seeing some alarming trends in the health of the U.S. population. Its a bit of a puzzle. On one hand, significant advances in biomedical research over the last several decades have led to lifesaving interventions for a range of diseases and conditions. At the same time, the overall health of the people in this country appears to be stalled and even getting worse.

Looking at one measure of health, U.S. life expectancy is no longer steadily increasingin fact, weve had a decline in life expectancy over the last decade. And though this included a dramatic drop because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate was declining before that. Life expectancy in the U.S. is alsolow compared to peer nations, even though we spend much more money on our health system. Disparities in mortality also persist amongcertain racial and ethnic groups and geographic regions. Our health is determined not only by the genes we inherit from our parents, but by our environment and social and economic factors. We know that in the U.S. today, your zip code can significantly impact your health.