News from NYU Langone Health
Smell Loss May Linger For Years After COVID. (Medscape)
Paywalled* (9/26)* New research published in JAMA Network Open reveals that an impaired sense of smell can persist for years after recovering from COVID-19, with nearly 80% of participants experiencing olfactory difficulties, according to a study involving over 3,000 individuals, including 1,393 who had COVID-19 and reported trouble with smell; Leora Horwitz, MD, professor, Departments of Population Health, and Medicine, and co-author of the study, said, “When people tell you they have smell loss, they’re right.”
Also reporting was (9/26), (9/26), Shreveport, LA (9/25), (9/26), (9/26), (9/26), (9/27), and (9/26).
I’m A Doctor – This Is The No. 1 Thing People Do Wrong When They Get Sick With A Virus Like The Flu. (New York Post)
The (9/29) Mark J. Mulligan, MD, the Thomas S. Murphy Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, and professor, Microbiology, NYU Langone Vaccine Center, advises that as respiratory viruses like the common cold, flu, COVID-19, and RSV rise in autumn, individuals should protect themselves by practicing social distancing, handwashing, and mask-wearing, and by staying home when sick to prevent virus spread. He emphasizes the importance of vaccinations, recommending annual flu vaccines for everyone over six months, RSV vaccines for adults over 50 with health conditions, and COVID-19 vaccines for seniors and those with underlying conditions, stating, “The benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the small risk of any serious harm.”
Tyrone Tracy Jr. Sidelined With Shoulder Dislocation. (New York Post)
The (9/26) Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, MD, assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, joins Brandon London for the weekly “Injury Report” segment to discuss how Tyrone Tracy Jr. can recover from the dislocated shoulder that will keep the Giants’ running back sidelined for a few weeks.
Sunset Park Hosts 10th Annual Health Empowerment Celebration. (Brooklyn (NY) Reader)
The (9/27) More than 1,500 residents participated in the 10th Annual Health Empowerment Celebration in Sunset Park, organized by RaisingHealth Partners, which featured health screenings, cultural performances, and family activities, with NYU Langone Health playing a key role; the event marked a first in New York City with all major cancer providers, including NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, collaborating to introduce the city’s first low-dose CT Radiology Mobile Unit for early cancer detection, while NYU Langone Health’s involvement included an ambulance for children to explore emergency response.
Also reporting was (9/26).
Dr. Mehnert On Next Steps For The Evaluation Of Quadruplet Therapy In Advanced Melanoma. (OncLive)
(9/26) Janice Mehnert, MD, a professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, discussed the promising results from a phase 2 study presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, which demonstrated a 24-week overall response rate of 63.6% for the combination of sarilumab (Kevzara) with ipilimumab (Yervoy), nivolumab, and relatlimab-rmbw (Opdualag) in unresectable stage III or IV melanoma, emphasizing the potential benefits of adding IL-6 inhibition to an immune checkpoint inhibitor backbone, including improved response and reduced toxicity, with further verification through a randomized phase 2 cohort study anticipated for data readout in June 2026.
Revised MS Criteria Aim To Speed Diagnosis. (MedPage Today)
(9/27) Revisions to the McDonald criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS), unveiled at the 2024 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis meeting, introduce a unified diagnostic approach for all MS forms, including pediatric and late-onset, with Xavier Montalban, MD, PhD, of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, saying, “We are moving towards a biological diagnosis of MS,” while Steven L. Galetta, MD, the Philip K. Moskowitz, MD Professor and Chair of Neurology, Department of Neurology, professor, Department of Ophthalmology, and Jeffrey Bennett, MD, PhD, noted in The Lancet Neurology that access to necessary tests may be limited, affecting the criteria’s performance in clinical settings.
Bariatric Surgery Outperforms GLP-1 Agonists. (General Surgery News)
Paywalled* (9/26) “Bariatric surgery procedures may result in significantly greater weight loss for patients compared with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, according to recent research from surgeons at NYU Langone Health and NYC Health + Hospitals, in New York City.”
Should Insurer Have Denied Transplant? Ethicist Weighs In. (Medscape)
Paywalled* (9/26)* In an opinion piece, Art Caplan, PhD, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor of Bioethics, Department of Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics, wrote that insurance companies often deny coverage for experimental treatments, such as a double lung transplant for a stage IV lung cancer patient, which are not part of standard care, asserting that this reflects insurers’ focus on funding proven therapeutic interventions, noting the scarcity of lungs for transplant and ethical considerations in prioritizing organs for therapeutic use over research.
Cancer Patients Are Living Longer Than Ever. Pain Drugmakers Haven’t Kept Up. (Healthcare Dive)
(9/25) In an article discussing the state of painkillers, Shengping Zou, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, Center for the Study and Treatment of Pain, said, “In the last 10, 15 years, opioid pandemic issues have really scared everybody – the public, the primary care doctors, the oncologists, even the pain doctors.”
Can Oral Fungi And Bacteria Serve As Biomarkers For Pancreatic Cancer? (RTT News)
(9/29) Researchers at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center have discovered a more than threefold increased risk of pancreatic cancer linked to the presence of 27 bacterial and fungal species in the oral microbiome, based on data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, with saliva samples from 122,000 participants showing that 445 developed pancreatic cancer; Richard Hayes, DDS, MPH, PhD, professor, Department of Population Health and co-senior author, said, “It is clearer than ever that brushing and flossing your teeth may not only help prevent periodontal disease but may also protect against cancer.”
WCM-Q Conference To Address Health Challenges Related To Climate And Environment. (Al Bawaba)
(9/27) The Division of Continuing Professional Development at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar is organizing the “Exploring the Nexus of Climate, Health, and Environment” conference in Doha, Qatar, on October 25–26, 2025, to address the public health challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation, featuring plenary sessions, expert panels, and workshops on sustainable healthcare and innovative patient care, with participation from international institutions including NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
The Sixers Look To Establish A Style Of Play That Doesn’t Depend On Who’s Playing. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
The (9/26) Joel Embiid and Paul George of the Philadelphia 76ers are recovering from surgeries performed at NYU Langone Health’s Sports Medicine Center, with Embiid undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April and George having a similar procedure in July; their injuries, alongside Quentin Grimes’ unresolved contract situation, pose challenges for the team, which has historically struggled with player health.
A 6-Year-Old’s Eyes Were Crossed. Doctors Found A Fast-Growing Brain Tumor. (CBS News)
(9/27) Imani Dell, a young girl from north Miami, underwent a challenging medical journey after a brain tumor diagnosis in May 2024, which began with symptoms like crossed eyes and double vision; David H. Harter, MD, professor, Department of Neurosurgery, explained the tumor’s classification and treatment, leading to Imani’s return to school and a positive prognosis with ongoing monitoring.
Lawmakers Warn SNAP Cuts Will Mean More Hunger. (Reading (PA) Eagle)
The (9/27) Provisions in President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” are criticized for making it more difficult for veterans and low-income individuals to access federal food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with new requirements such as proof of 80 hours of work or volunteering monthly and reapplication every six months; Dr. Sameed Khatana from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Nicholas Illenberger, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Population Health, cautioned that the cuts could lead to 93,000 premature deaths.
Best Time To Get The Flu Vaccine This Fall As Influenza Season Approaches. (Fox News)
(9/26) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that most individuals receive their flu vaccination in September or October, ideally by the end of October, while those over 65 and pregnant women should wait until September to ensure optimal protection; Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, advised getting the flu shot within the next month or two, noting that it provides protection for six to nine months and flu season typically peaks in January or February.
‘Zika-Like’ Mosquito-Borne Virus Has Spread Into Europe, Health Officials Warn. (news ATW)
(9/29 Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, confirmed to Fox News Digital that the Oropouche virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and midges, does not spread from person to person, and while the virus typically causes symptoms like fever, headache, and muscle aches, in severe cases, it can lead to neuroinvasive diseases such as meningitis and encephalitis; he also mentioned that “there are no vaccines for prevention and no treatments,” emphasizing the importance of avoiding insect bites, particularly for vulnerable groups like pregnant women, as the virus poses some risk of birth defects.
News from NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn
The Orthopedic Innovations Transforming Patient Outcomes. (Becker's Orthopedic & Spine Review)
(9/26) Orthopedics is rapidly advancing with outpatient arthroplasty and robotics significantly improving patient outcomes, according to eight surgeons interviewed by Becker’s; Joshua C. Rozell, MD, associate professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, chief, Orthopedic Surgery, NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, said, “The greatest advancement has been our ability as a care team to prepare patients for surgery and discharge them home safely within 24 hours.”
Warning Stroke: What It Is And Symptoms To Look For. (HuffPost)
(9/28) Brandon Giglio, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Neurology, NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, explained that approximately 85% of strokes in the U.S. are ischemic, caused by lack of blood flow to the brain, while 15% are hemorrhagic, resulting from a ruptured blood vessel; he emphasized the importance of recognizing transient ischemic attacks, or warning strokes, which can precede a full stroke within 90 days if untreated.
Also reporting is (9/28).
News from NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island
Chalk Murals Dot Blue Point Preserve For William’s Warriors Fundraiser. (Newsday (NY))
(9/27) NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island was among the beneficiaries of the William’s Chalk the Walk fundraiser, where participants, created chalk murals to support William’s Warriors, a nonprofit aiding children undergoing cancer treatment; the event raised over $13,000, with $10,000 allocated to pediatric cancer research at Columbia University, and additional funds supporting the Ronald McDonald House in Stony Brook and providing arts and crafts kits to pediatric patients at hospitals such as NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island.
A Conversation With ‘Eager Leader’ Faith Lynch, DNP. (Healio)
(9/26) Faith Lynch, senior director of dialysis operations at NYU Langone Hospital — Long Island, said, “A dialysis or a nephrology nurse knows more about a patient’s hemodynamic stability than any other nurse,” and emphasized her role in shaping the future of nephrology nursing through leadership positions; Lynch also shared her experiences at NYU Langone Health, saying it was “very cool” to get to she works for an organization that has Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, the H. Leon Pachter, MD, Professor of Surgery; chair of the Department of Surgery; and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, highlighting her involvement in the first acute-to-home transition for dialysis patients, and discussed the impact of health policy on the future of nephrology.
Recent Developments In Crohn’s Disease. (MedPage Today)
(9/26) Major developments in Crohn’s disease treatment in 2025 include FDA approvals of two IL-23 inhibitors, mirikizumab and guselkumab, with the latter offering both intravenous and subcutaneous dosing options; new data on upadacitinib’s efficacy for fistulizing Crohn’s; and promising trial results for TL1A-targeted antibodies; Bradley Morganstern, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, discussed the first global guidelines for managing pregnancy in women with IBD, which recommend continuing biologics and thiopurines during pregnancy while avoiding small-molecule drugs.
