NYU Langone’s Family Health Centers Host Back-To-School Fair. (Brooklyn (NY) Daily Eagle)

The Brooklyn (NY) Daily Eagle (8/20) Families on tight budgets will receive backpacks and other school supplies at the annual back-to-school resource fair hosted by Family Health Centers at NYU Langone Health, which will also offer health screenings, information, special entertainment for kids, demonstrations, and an adult activity area, aiming to assist families in Sunset Park and surrounding neighborhoods ahead of the NYC Public School academic year starting on September 5.

Even Before Matthew Perry’s Death, Experts Worried About The ‘Wild West’ Of Ketamine Treatment. (CNN)

CNN (8/17) Joseph J. Palamar, MPH, PhD, associate professor, Department of Population Health, expressed concerns about the unsupervised use of ketamine at home, referencing the case of actor Matthew Perry, who drowned after taking large doses of the drug, saying, “It’s not the most dangerous drug by any means, but it can be dangerous if used in the wrong context.”

In an opinion piece published in The Hill (8/20), Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, writes, “Illicit drug use is nothing new. But we must heavily police and prevent the hijacking of powerful medicines for untested treatments in order to pad pockets.”

Also reporting is WABC-TV New York (8/17).

NBCUniversal Announces Winners Of Local Impact Grants. (WNBC-TV New York)

WNBC-TV New York (8/20) Giuseppe “JoJo” Caccamo, born prematurely at 29 weeks and weighing only one pound eight ounces, was able to return home to New York thanks to Rebuilding Together Long Island, which renovated his family’s house to accommodate his medical needs, including a ventilator and sterile environment, after his stay at what is now NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; “He didn’t leave that room for almost a year and a half because of his medical needs,” said his mother, Katie Caccamo, emphasizing the critical support provided by the nonprofit, which recently received an NBCUniversal Local Impact Grant.

Also reporting is KNBC-TV Los Angeles (8/20).

Is Nail Polish Bad For Your Nails? (Straits Times (SGP))

The Straits Times (SGP) (8/20) Adam I. Rubin, MD, member of the faculty, the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, explained that traditional nail polish does not directly harm fingernails or toenails, although cosmetic issues may arise if nails are kept painted for several weeks.

Platelet Reactivity Score May Predict Heart Attack, Stroke Risk Beyond BP, Cholesterol. (Healio)

Healio (8/20) A new genetics-based platelet reactivity score, reported in Nature Communications, identifies people with hyperreactive platelets to better determine who might need antiplatelet therapy to prevent first heart attacks or strokes; Jeffrey S. Berger, MD, associate professor, Departments of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, and Surgery, Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, explained, “It started from a simple question: We know who to give lipid-lowering therapy by measuring someone’s lipids, we know who to give blood pressure-lowering therapy by measuring someone’s blood pressure, but we do not know in many cases who to give platelet-inhibiting drugs to.”

Also reporting are HealthDay (8/21) and Science Blog (8/20).

What’s The Difference Between IUI And IVF? A Guide To The Language Of Assisted Conception. (Yahoo! Lifestyle)

Yahoo! Lifestyle (8/20) James A. Grifo, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Langone Fertility Center, explains that egg freezing involves harvesting and preserving a woman’s eggs for future use, and he adds, “More women are asking what their reproductive options are for the future, and the best chance of preserving their fertility is through egg freezing.”

ALERT: Rare, Highly Contagious Sexually Transmitted Infection Hits US. (Black Doctor)

Black Doctor (8/20) A highly contagious form of ringworm, Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII, has been identified in the US for the first time, with doctors in New York City reporting the case in JAMA Dermatology in June; “Healthcare providers should be aware that Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII is the latest in a group of severe skin infections to have now reached the United States,” said study lead author and dermatologist Avrom S. Caplan, MD, assistant professor, the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology.

Navigating The Shifting Landscape Of Primary Care In The United States: Current Economic Challenges. (Medical Economics)

In an opinion piece published in Medical Economics (8/20), Fred Cohen, MD, writes that primary care in the United States, especially in states like New York, faces significant economic and operational challenges; institutions like NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine are offering tuition-free education to encourage careers in primary care, while promoting solutions like value-based care and streamlined administrative processes to sustain the system.

What To Make Of Study Linking Weight Loss Drugs To Suicidal Thoughts. (CBS News)

CBS News (8/20) A recent study has identified a potential connection between widely-used weight loss medications and suicidal ideation, though concerns have been raised regarding the study’s scope and methodology; Jonathan D. LaPook, MD, the Mebane Professor of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, professor, Department of Population Health, provides insights on interpreting these findings.

NYU Langone Physician Emphasizes Importance Of Breast Cancer Screenings. (NBC News Now-2)

NBC News Now-2 (8/20) Natalie E. Azar, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, discussed breast cancer screenings, recommending that average-risk women begin annual mammograms around age 40, while the American Cancer Society suggests biennial screenings until age 45, continuing as long as life expectancy exceeds 10 years, and that women at increased risk, such as those with a family history or genetic predispositions, may need earlier screenings.

Doctors Can Stop Severe Bleeding ‘In Seconds’ With Newly Approved Trauma Product. (Fox News)

Fox News (8/20) Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Clinical Innovation, confirmed that the newly FDA-approved TRAUMAGEL, made by Cresilon Inc., a Brooklyn-based biotechnology company, is the first gel-based hemostatic agent cleared for use in the U.S. to stop bleeding, stating that the product appears to be a “major step forward” in managing acute bleeding in the field, “even including head trauma and military uses [in combat], as well as gunshot and knifing wounds outside of combat.”