Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of March 2, 2026–March 6, 2026.
U.S. surpasses 1,100 measles cases in two months, CDC data show
CNN (2/27, McPhillips) said CDC data published Friday show that as of February 26, there have been 1,136 measles cases “reported in the first eight weeks of the year.” According to CNN, “the vast majority of measles cases reported in the U.S. so far this year—about 96%—have been among people who have not been vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine or who have not received both recommended doses. More than 80% have been among children and teens, with about 1 in 4 cases among children under 5.” The U.S. in 2025 “reported nearly 2,300 measles cases—more than there have been in a single year since 1991.”
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Research explores impact of low-dose lithium treatment on cognitive decline in older adults
MedPage Today (3/2, George) reports, “Daily lithium carbonate showed a promising signal in the pilot LATTICE trial of older adults with mild cognitive impairment, but failed to meet a prespecified significance threshold for any of six coprimary outcomes compared with placebo.” Investigators found that “verbal memory scores showed the largest effect size, declining by a difference of 0.69 points per year (95% CI 0.01-1.37, P=0.05), which did not meet the prespecified threshold of P<0.01.” Meanwhile, “hippocampal and cortical volumes declined in both groups, but no significant differences emerged.” The findings were published in JAMA Neurology.
USPSTF’s March meeting is postponed
Reuters (3/3, Beasley) reports an HHS spokesperson confirmed the March meeting of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has been postponed “and will be rescheduled in the coming months.” The 16-member advisory panel, “which usually holds three annual meetings, last met in March of 2025. Its November 2025 meeting did not take place due to a government shutdown. The previous meeting, set for July 2025, was abruptly canceled.” While the task force is an independent group of volunteer experts, “it relies on support from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.”
CNN (3/3, Luhby) adds that uncertainty remains “over whether or when the USPSTF may meet again—and how that could affect doctors and patients.”
Most patients who took GLP-1 injections less frequently maintained weight loss, health benefits, study finds
The New York Times (3/4, Rabin) reports a study found that “after 36 weeks of follow-up, most of the patients who spaced out their GLP-1 injections kept the weight off and also maintained health benefits like reduced blood pressure and better blood sugar control.” While the study involved “only 34 patients in a relatively homogeneous group,” the research “provides a potentially appealing new option for patients who are loath to commit to lifelong weekly injections of a costly medication that may not be covered by insurance and that some fear could have unknown side effects.” Experts warn the “results should be interpreted with caution. They emphasized that the patients did not quit the medications. They just took them less frequently, and took the standard doses they had been using.” Furthermore, “the patients reduced the frequency only after achieving their desired weight loss and reaching a weight-loss plateau.” The study was published in Obesity.
Survey reveals who Americans trust for public health information
The Hill (3/5, Choi) reports, “A poll published Thursday found that Americans have lost trust in federal health institutions and are more likely to say they trust independent, professional medical organizations when it comes to advice on topics like vaccination.” The survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center “found that public trust in agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had fallen by 5 to 7 percentage points in the past year.”
The Washington Post (3/5, Sun) also reports, “At the same time, Americans say they have greater confidence in major professional health associations to provide more trustworthy public health information than the federal health agencies.” Survey results show “73% are confident in the American Medical Association to provide trustworthy information related to public health.”
Editor’s Note: These new survey findings highlight a widening trust gap in the nation’s health information landscape. Read the AMA’s full statement on the need to rebuild trust in evidence-based health information.
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