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News from ��ɫAV Langone Health

Shingles Damaged This Former Eye Surgeon’s Vision. Here’s What She Wants You To Know About The Virus. (Glamour Magazine)

(2/20) Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD, professor, Department of Ophthalmology, vice chair, academic affairs, Department of Ophthalmology, shared her personal experience with shingles vision symptoms, which began with burning in her right eye and led to a diagnosis of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO); she later contributed to research at ��ɫAV Grossman School of Medicine demonstrating that low-dose valacyclovir can reduce flare-ups of eye disease in HZO patients, saying, “If there is eye involvement with keratitis or iritis, our recommendation based on the study is to take a low dose of valacyclovir for a year.”

In a separate article, (2/19) Elisabeth J. Cohen, MD, professor, Department of Ophthalmology, vice chair, academic affairs, Department of Ophthalmology, advises vaccination with Shingrix for adults 50 and older or those with weakened immune systems starting at age 19, noting recent findings that shingles may be linked to cognitive decline and that vaccination might offer protection.

Beth Israel’s Closure Will Reshape Emergency Access In Lower Manhattan. (Crain's New York Business)

Paywalled* (2/27) Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s impending closure, approved by a judge, will significantly alter emergency healthcare access in Lower Manhattan, redirecting patients to facilities like Bellevue Hospital and ��ɫAV Langone Health, which are expected to absorb an additional 25 to 26 patients daily, according to a Department of Health report; this shift is part of a broader strategy by Mount Sinai Health System to invest over $600 million in specialized centers, such as those for heart and respiratory care, while the consolidation has already increased ambulance response times and stressed existing hospitals like Bellevue, which is operating beyond its pre-pandemic capacity.

Paywalled* (2/27) As Mount Sinai Beth Israel prepares to close, surrounding hospitals including ��ɫAV Langone Health’s Tisch Hospital anticipate an influx of patients, particularly as 83% of Beth Israel’s patients are covered by Medicare or Medicaid, which contributes to financial strain due to lower reimbursement rates, according to hospital spokesman Steve Ritea, who said the surge has led to increased staffing costs and the need for additional inpatient beds and emergency room bays.

These People Are All Taking Ozempic In Secret — The Real Reasons No One Wants To ‘Fess Up. (New York Post)

The (2/26) Approximately one in eight adults in the US have used GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy, with many users opting to keep their usage private due to concerns about judgment, with Holly F. Lofton, MD, clinical associate professor, Departments of Surgery, Division of Bariatric Surgery, and Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, saying, “I think both the stigma that the medications are an easy way out and that the mechanism is through making your stomach not work are both myths that need to be dispelled.”

GRIN Therapeutics Receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation For Radiprodil. (WorldPharma)

(2/25) GRIN Therapeutics announced that the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to radiprodil, an investigational drug for seizures associated with GRIN-related neurodevelopmental disorder, with Jacqueline A. French, MD, professor, Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, saying, “The increased engagement with FDA that Breakthrough Therapy designation brings will ensure that the radiprodil program, developed in partnership with the academic and advocacy communities, has the best chance of success.”

Rapid Gene Test Can Aid Brain Cancer Surgery, Researchers Say. (UPI)

(2/26) A new study from ��ɫAV Grossman School of Medicine introduces the Ultra-Rapid droplet digital PCR, a genetic test that can identify cancer cells within 15 minutes during brain surgery, potentially transforming surgical outcomes by allowing real-time tumor removal guidance; Daniel A. Orringer, MD, associate professor, Departments of Neurosurgery, and Pathology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, said, “For many cancers, such as tumors in the brain, the success of cancer surgery and preventing the cancer’s return is predicated on removing as much of the tumor and surrounding cancer cells as is safely possible,” and Gilad D. Evrony, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Departments of Pediatrics, and Neuroscience and Physiology, Center for Human Genetics & Genomics, said the test “could be a fast and efficient tool for making a molecular diagnosis during surgery for brain cancer.”

Third Recipient Of Pig Kidney Heads Home From Hospital. (STAT)

Paywalled* (2/26)* Towana Looney, the 53-year-old patient who became the third person to receive a kidney from a genetically modified pig at ��ɫAV Langone Health, is returning home to Alabama and will visit New York monthly for check-ups; in a press release from ��ɫAV Langone Health, she said, “I feel blessed...I’m so grateful to be alive and thankful to have received this incredible gift,” while the FDA recently cleared United Therapeutics to start the first clinical trial to assess gene-edited pigs as a viable kidney transplant option.

Vitamin D’s Role In Joint Replacements: 10 Notes. (Becker's Orthopedic & Spine Review)

(2/25) While questions remain about the effectiveness of vitamin D supplements in hip and knee replacements, Claudette M. Lajam, MD, professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, conducted several randomized trials finding conflicting results and warns that vitamin D can lead to “poorer post-surgical outcomes.”

Muscle Recovery 101: Foam Rolling, Stretching And Nutrition Tips You Need. (News 18 (IND))

(2/26) Natasha N. Desai, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Sports Medicine, Women’s Sports Medicine Center, said that recovery is often neglected in fitness routines, which can hinder muscle healing and increase injury risk, and she recommends a structured recovery routine including gradual cool-downs, foam rolling, stretching, and protein intake to enhance performance and muscle repair.

Eating This Fruit Every Day Can Reduce Depression Risk, Say Harvard Researchers. (Women's Health (UK))

(2/26) Thea Gallagher, PsyD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, discussed a study published in BMC Microbiome linking citrus consumption to a 20% reduced risk of depression, attributing this to the presence of the gut bacteria F. prausnitzii, which is more prevalent in those consuming citrus; however, she cautioned that the pathways between gut health and depression are not fully understood, and emphasized the importance of not replacing antidepressant medications with dietary changes, despite the study’s promising implications for mental health.

Low Levels Of One Vitamin Linked To Developing Dementia. (The Mirror)

(2/26) A study co-authored by Josef Coresh, MD, PhD, the Terry and Mel Karmazin Professor of Population Health, Department of Population Health, professor, Department of Medicine, Optimal Aging Institute and published in Nature Medicine found that low levels of ‘active’ vitamin B12 may increase the risk of dementia, as participants with lower levels exhibited slower processing speeds and more brain lesions, potentially linking these factors to cognitive decline, while emphasizing the importance of midlife interventions to mitigate risk. 

First Measles-Related Pediatric Death In US In Almost A Decade. (WCBS-TV New York)

(2/26) The recent measles outbreak in Texas, which led to the first measles-related child death in the US in nearly a decade, has prompted hospitals like Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock to implement measures to prevent further spread, with more than 120 cases reported, 20 hospitalizations, and none of the affected children vaccinated; Jonathan D. LaPook, MD, the Mebane Professor of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, professor, Department of Population Health, said, “Extraordinarily effective, 97 percent effective after two doses,” when discussing the measles vaccine’s efficacy, while emphasizing the severe contagiousness of measles compared to flu and COVID.

(2/26) The first measles death has occurred in West Texas during an outbreak that has infected over 100 individuals, with Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, attributing the spread to vaccination non-compliance, noting, “that for herd immunity (where those who cannot be vaccinated because they are pregnant or immunocompromised and can’t take a live vaccine are protected), we need a vaccination rate of around 95%.”

FDA Approves New Drug For Alzheimer’s Disease. (Fox News)

(2/25) Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, said Kisunla, a new dementia drug, is an improvement and “gives hope to a situation where there’s not a lot of hope,” adding the drug is a tool that “targets the beta amyloid plaque protein in the brain” that allows the brain’s nerves to “communicate with each other” and this drug “gets rid of this plaque.”