News from NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Celebrates Over $5.5 Billion In Philanthropy. (Long Island (NY) Press)
The (6/9) NYU Langone Health honored Board of Trustees chairman Kenneth G. Langone and its dean and CEO, Dr. Robert I. Grossman, at their final Violet Ball in their current roles, held at the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, celebrating over $5.5 billion raised in 18 years; Langone, who has contributed over $750 million, said, “The evolution of NYU Langone Health from a struggling safety-net hospital to one of the world’s leading health systems is a phenomenal story,” while Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO, remarked, “Ken Langone is a remarkable person and the greatest board chair, champion, and friend anyone can ask for,” alongside incoming leaders Fiona Druckenmiller, co-chair, Board of Trustees, and Alec Kimmelman, MD, PhD, the Anita Steckler and Joseph Steckler Chair, and professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Perlmutter 鶹Ƶapp Center.
Drug Deaths Plummet Among Young Americans As Fentanyl Carnage Eases. (NPR)
(6/10) Drug deaths among Americans under 35 have significantly decreased, with a 47% reduction in fatal overdoses for ages 20 to 29; this decline is attributed to factors such as increased Narcan availability, less potent fentanyl, and behavioral shifts towards safer substances like cannabis, as highlighted by researchers including Noa Krawczyk, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Population Health, who reported a quadrupling of fentanyl deaths among 15 to 24-year-olds from 2018 to 2022.
Why Are So Many Children Getting Long COVID? (Newsweek)
(6/10) Rachel S. Gross, MD, associate professor, Departments of Pediatrics, and Population Health, told Newsweek that many children with long COVID are “unrecognized and unsupported,” and identifying the condition in young children is challenging due to developmental changes and communication limitations; the RECOVER study found up to 5.8 million American children may have long COVID, potentially making it more common than asthma, with symptoms varying by age, including respiratory and neurological issues
(6/9) New research led by Rachel S. Gross, MD, associate professor, Departments of Pediatrics, and Population Health, challenges the assumption that young children are less susceptible to long COVID, revealing that 41% of infants and toddlers and 45% of preschoolers experienced prolonged symptoms, with 14% of infants and toddlers and 15% of preschoolers likely having long COVID.
Inherited Genetic Differences May Predict Resistance To Immunotherapy In Metastatic Melanoma. (ASCO Post)
(6/9) NYU Langone Health researchers identified a genetic marker, mitochondrial haplogroup T, in a study published in Nature Medicine, which may predict resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic melanoma patients, potentially impacting treatment decisions, with co-lead study author Kelsey R. Monson, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Population Health, Division of Epidemiology, Perlmutter 鶹Ƶapp Center, saying, “Our study offers the first scientific evidence of an inherited genetic marker, the presence of mitochondrial haplogroup T, as a means of identifying those [patients with] metastatic melanoma who are least likely to respond to immunotherapy treatment.” Senior study author Tomas Kirchhoff, PhD, associate professor, Department of Population Health, Perlmutter 鶹Ƶapp Center, said, “These study results also raise the possibility that other mitochondrial haplogroup variants could influence which patients respond to other immune checkpoint therapies, allowing us to use this biomarker to personalize treatment prediction to a larger patient population.”
Improving Communication For Deaf 鶹Ƶapp Patients. (鶹Ƶapp Today)
(6/9) Darlene Zangara’s experience with healthcare communication challenges for deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) patients underscores the critical need for accessible interpretation services, as exemplified by her stepfather’s misunderstanding of a cancer diagnosis due to lack of an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, with Emmanuel Perrodin-Njoku from the Center for Deaf Health Excellence and Colin Hill, MD, assistant professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Perlmutter 鶹Ƶapp Center, advocating for varied communication methods and resources, including ASL and Protactile interpretation, to ensure effective patient care and understanding, as well as suggesting practical solutions like text messaging and visual cues in healthcare settings.
American Society Of Clinical Oncology, May 31-June 3. (McKnight's Senior Living)
(6/9) Lucas A. Mavromatis, research assistant, Department of Medicine, Division of Precision Medicine, and colleagues found that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are associated with a 7% lower incidence of 14 obesity-related cancers and an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in a study of 170,030 adults with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher and diabetes, with Mavromatis stating, “This study adds to a growing body of observational evidence suggesting that GLP-1 RAs may reduce the incidence of obesity-related cancers.”
Also reporting is (6/10).
Whole Eye Transplantation Is No Longer Just Science Fiction. (MedCity News)
(6/9) The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health initiated the Transplantation of Human Eye Allografts program in January 2024, aiming to achieve successful whole functional eye transplantation, following a groundbreaking eye and partial face transplant at NYU Langone Health in May 2023.
10 Major Practice Mergers To Know. (Becker's ASC Review)
(6/9) Included in a list of 10 health systems that have partnered or merged together since the beginning of 2025 is that “New York City-based NYU Langone Health and NYU Langone Orthopedics acquired Rothman Orthopaedics of Greater New York.”
Coffee Can Promote Healthy Aging In Women, Study Suggests. (Everyday Health)
(6/9) A new analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study, presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting, suggests that moderate coffee consumption, particularly caffeinated coffee, is linked to healthy aging, as women who drank around 315 mg of caffeine daily during middle age showed a 2 to 5 percent higher chance of aging free from major chronic diseases and cognitive or physical limitations; Yu Chen, MPH, PhD, professor, Department of Population Health, indicated soda may harm healthy aging due to its high sugar content.
Rod Stewart Cancels Upcoming Shows As He Fights The Flu. (AARP)
(6/9) Rod Stewart, 80, has canceled and rescheduled six concerts in June, including three in Las Vegas and two in California, due to recovering from the flu, as announced on Instagram, while the CDC advises high-dose or adjuvanted flu vaccines for seniors and suggests precautionary measures like consulting healthcare providers and consuming nutrient-rich foods; Samantha Heller, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Radiology, said, “As we get older, our immunity starts to decline, but if we get the right nutrients, we can help our immune systems do their jobs to protect us against viruses like the flu.”
How Many Years Do I Have Left? An App Gave Me Some Helpful Insights. (Washington Post)
The (6/8) Brent Franson, founder and CEO of the AI-powered app Death Clock, says the app provides insights into how lifestyle changes can impact longevity, despite being “for fun only,” although Art Caplan, PhD, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor of Bioethics, Department of Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics, cautions that lifespan is influenced by factors beyond personal habits, including genetics and socioeconomic conditions.
