News from NYU Langone Health
Baby Has World’s Smallest Pacemaker Implanted To Treat Dangerous Heart Condition. (CBS News)
(2/22) NYU Langone Health’s Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital successfully treated newborn Mikey Oliveri, who was born with a complete heart block, using an adapted pacemaker, said Dr. Reina Tan, a pediatric cardiologist and electrophysiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics; Mikey was initially too small for a standard pacemaker, but the emergency-approved, smallest pacemaker in the world was implanted in a 75-minute procedure by T.K. Susheel Kumar, MD, associate professor, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Heart Failure & Transplantation Program, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, allowing Mikey, now thriving at home, to be discharged after weeks of monitoring and care.
Want To Reduce Soreness After A Workout? Make Time For This 4-Step Routine. (NPR)
(2/22) “Studies have shown that exercise recovery can reduce your risk of injury and soreness and help improve athletic performance. But many people don’t prioritize these activities after working out, says Natasha N. Desai, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Sports Medicine, Women’s Sports Medicine Center, who adds, “People usually only schedule time for that physical stress – and none for support and self-care, which is a recipe for disaster in the long-term.”
A Break From Your Smartphone Can Reboot Your Mood. Here’s How Long You Need. (NPR)
(2/24) ”Researchers studied what happened when people agreed to block the internet from their smartphones for just two weeks. And turns out, 91% felt better after the break,” with Judith F. Joseph, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, saying, “I’m not surprised by the findings,” adding “when they start to engage in behaviors such as those seen in study – more exercise, time outdoors, good sleep, more social interactions – it’s not surprising that they start to feel better.”
Medical Training’s AI Leap: How Agentic RAG, Open-weight LLMs And Real-time Case Insights Are Shaping A New Generation Of Doctors At NYU Langone. (VentureBeat)
(2/20) NYU Langone Health has developed a large language model (LLM) to assist medical education by processing electronic health records nightly and delivering tailored emails with research, diagnosis tips, and background information to residents, as part of its “precision medical education” initiative, Marc M. Triola, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, and associate dean for educational informatics, said “is needed in healthcare,” while Paul A. Testa, MD, assistant professor, the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine, chief medical information officer, remarked, “it’s not the easiest thing to do if you’re sitting on unware housed data in silos across your system,” emphasizing the importance of centralized data systems.
Living With Narcolepsy: Lindsay And Matt’s Journey With A Life-Changing Diagnosis. (Queens (NY) Chronicle)
(2/21) Alcibiades J. Rodriguez, MD, associate professor, Department of Neurology, Division of Epilepsy, said providers often use ESS and MSLT to help diagnose narcolepsy, adding, “While sleep tests are an important part of confirming a diagnosis, it is important for me to ask how sleepiness impacts someone’s daily life. Questions like, what are some things you would like to be doing that you can’t do because of your excessive daytime sleepiness?”
Josh Hart Misses Second Straight Knicks Game As Knee Troubles Persist. (New York Post)
The (2/21) “The prognosis for runner’s knee, as Charles Homoky, PT, DPT, physical therapist, Sports Performance Center told The Post’s Mark W. Sanchez, is encouraging as it’s a common ailment that ‘I don’t think is going to derail a season.’”
This Rare Symptom Delayed ‘Bachelorette’ Star Katie Thurston’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis. (New York Post)
The (2/22) Natalie J. Klar, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, is quoted as telling Parade, “Most breast cancers are asymptomatic and are diagnosed on routine screening breast imaging mammograms and ultrasounds.”
Enhancing Diversity, Addressing Racial Disparities In Psoriatic Arthritis Research. (American Journal of Managed Care)
The (2/23) Rebecca Haberman, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, discussed strategies to enhance diversity in psoriatic arthritis clinical trials, urging expansion to underrepresented sites globally and increased outreach and education to encourage participation from diverse populations, while also advocating for research to examine the underlying factors behind racial and ethnic disparities, suggesting a need for larger, multicenter cohorts and deep molecular endotyping to understand the role of social determinants of health.
Alabama Woman Sets Record With Pig Organ, Expert Calls It A New ‘Hope For Life’. (The Mirror)
(2/23) Towana Looney, an Alabama woman, has become the longest-living recipient of a pig organ transplant, having received a kidney that has functioned normally for 61 days as of late January, according to Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, the H. Leon Pachter, MD, Professor of Surgery, chair, Department of Surgery, NYU Langone Transplant Institute.
Physicians Counsel Against Consuming Raw Milk. (KALB-TV Alexandria (LA))
(2/21) Rabia A. De Latour, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, said that before milk pasteurization became mandatory, up to 25% of foodborne illnesses were attributed to raw milk consumption due to contamination risks during milking; she cautions against drinking raw milk and advises individuals to research its dangers thoroughly, rather than relying on social media.
Doctors Says Lifestyle Changes Better Than Statins To Slash Cholesterol. (Surrey Advertiser (UK))
The (2/23) Adriana Quinones-Camacho, MD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, chief, Medicine, Tisch Hospital, cholesterol management is crucial for heart health, with statins and lifestyle changes being common treatments; she advises consuming omega-3 rich foods, increasing dietary fiber, exercising, and consulting a doctor to manage cardiovascular risks associated with high LDL cholesterol.
Man With First Face, Hand Transplant From Same Donor Gets Married In Hawaii Ceremony. (KTVK-TV Phoenix)
(2/21) Joe DeMeo, who made medical history at NYU Langone Health by becoming the first person to successfully undergo a face and hands transplant from the same donor after suffering burns over 80% of his body in a car crash, recently married Jessica Perez, a nurse from Ohio, at a seaside wedding in Hawaii.
Catholics Pray After Vatican Says Pope Francis Is In ‘Critical Condition’. (TODAY)
(2/23) Catholics globally are praying for Pope Francis, who is in critical condition with double pneumonia at a Rome hospital, requiring oxygen and blood transfusions, according to the Vatican; Natalie E. Azar, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, provided healthcare analysis on Sunday TODAY.
(2/22) Fox News senior medical analyst Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation “joins ‘Fox News Live’ to analyze Pope Francis’ condition, after the religious leader was hospitalized in critical condition.”
Dr. Siegel also commented in separate embedded videos on (2/22), (2/22), and (2/22).
Why Is This The Worst Flu Season In Years? Doctors Explain. (TODAY)
(2/11) The United States is experiencing one of its worst flu seasons in over a decade, with Natalie E. Azar, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, saying most pediatric flu deaths occur among unvaccinated children, noting that the flu’s resurgence is attributed to the lack of lockdowns and masks used during the start of the COVID pandemic.
Children With Autism May See Speech Improvements With Off-Label Prescription Drug. (Fox News)
(2/21) Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, discussed leucovorin, an off-label prescription drug that some families report has improved communication skills in children with autism, saying it is converted to folate in the brain by a different pathway, potentially improving neurological function; he explained, “Central folate deficiency is a lack of folate in the brain, which can interfere with neurological function,” and added that although small studies show benefits, larger studies are needed.
News from NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island
Doctors Explain The 4 Ways Alcohol Can Cause Cancer. (Fortune)
(2/21) Drinking alcohol upsets your hormone levels. Most notably, alcohol’s influence on sex hormone estrogen is tied to breast cancer, explains Douglas K. Marks, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Hospital–Long Island, who said, “Alcohol can raise the estrogen levels in the body, primarily by its effect on the liver. Where the liver should usually metabolize estrogen, that rate of estrogen breakdown could be reduced and, as a result, estrogen levels can be higher.”
