News from NYU Langone Health
Doctors Struggle To Get Wegovy For Older Americans With Heart Disease. (Reuters)
Reuters (8/15) Older Americans are struggling to get Medicare coverage for the weight-loss drug Wegovy despite the program’s decision to cover patients with obesity at risk of heart disease, with doctors reporting numerous denials from healthcare companies administering Medicare drug benefits and inconsistent success rates on appeals; Holly F. Lofton, MD, clinical associate professor, Departments of Surgery, Division of Bariatric Surgery, and Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, stated, “I have not been able to determine the pattern of who is getting covered and who is not – even when we have evidence of MI (myocardial infarction, meaning heart attack) or stroke.”
Research Shows Interdisciplinary Teams Helps Recovery For Those With OUD. (Behavioral Health Business)
Behavioral Health Business (8/14) Researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, in collaboration with New York City Health + Hospitals, found that the Consult for Addiction Treatment and Care in Hospitals (CATCH) program significantly increased the likelihood of people hospitalized with opioid use disorder (OUD) to initiate medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) by eight times and continue treatment 30 days post-discharge by seven times with Jennifer McNeely, MD, associate professor, Departments of Population Health, and Medicine, stating, “Addiction consult programs like CATCH have tremendous potential to reduce the negative consequences of untreated substance use disorder.”
96 Academic Medical Center CEOs To Know. (Becker's Hospital Review)
Becker’s Hospital Review (8/14) Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO, since 2007, oversees over 45,000 employees, students, and noncompensated faculty across six inpatient locations and more than 320 sites, and has been instrumental in transforming NYU Langone Health into a leading academic medical center, notably spearheading the initiative for tuition-free medical education for all MD degree program students and increasing NYU Langone Health’s revenue to $10.7 billion in 2022.
The 1 Heart-Health Habit You Should Start When You’re Young. (TIME)
TIME (8/14) “While young adults often associate heart disease with people in their parents’ and grandparents’ ages, it’s never too early to start prevention,” says Nieca Goldberg, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology.
Can Dry Fasting Help With Metabolic Disorders, Diabetes? (Medscape)
Paywalled* Medscape (8/14)* Dry fasting, the practice of going without food and water, has enthusiastic advocates on social media, but Joanne Bruno, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Medicine, the Holman Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism, added, “Certain medications used for the management of type 2 diabetes, such as SGLT2 inhibitors, can cause dehydration,” which means that “it is critical that patients stay well hydrated while on these medications to avoid serious side effects such as euglycemic DKA.”
Expert Insights On Important Updates In Multiple Myeloma With Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD. (Targeted Oncology)
Targeted Oncology (8/14) Marc J. Braunstein, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, ”reviewed key updates in multiple myeloma for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell and bispecific antibody therapy” and “discussed the importance of having a plan and team in place for transition of care from an academic to a community setting when using these new and specialized drugs,” saying, “Being part of the Perlmutter Cancer Center and working within a network of cancer practices both in an academic setting but also in a hybrid community setting, I do get to work with community oncologists who want to give their patients the access to these therapies.”
Blood Test For Colon Cancer: Panacea Or Hype? (MedPage Today)
In an opinion piece published in MedPage Today (8/14), Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH, the Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, professor, Department of Population Health, writes that despite the effectiveness of traditional colon cancer screening methods like colonoscopy and stool-based tests, adherence rates remain low, but the FDA’s recent approval of the Guardant Shield blood test for adults 45 and older at average risk could improve these rates significantly, though it may also face challenges in terms of sensitivity and potential impact on existing screening methods.
What Is ‘Sunburning’? TikTokers Claim Viral Skincare Trend Treats Acne. (Beauty World News)
Beauty World News (8/14) Jennifer A. Stein, MD, PhD, professor, the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, associate vice chair, Faculty Practice Group, Department of Dermatology warned that a beauty trend claiming to cure acne with sunburn increases the risk of skin cancer, noting, “The best way to protect yourself from UV rays is to cover up.”
News from NYU Langone Hospital–Long Island
BRCA Mutations In Men: Important But Often Overlooked. (Medscape)
Paywalled* Medscape (8/14)* Male carriers of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants also face an increased risk for cancer, particularly of the prostate, pancreas, and breast; however, it is often overlooked, and “the larger issue is the general population doesn’t think of breast cancer when they think of men, which may delay seeking medical attention,” said Melissa D. Fana, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, chief of service, Breast Surgery, Long Island Community Hospital, who wasn’t involved in the review.
