News from NYU Langone Health
A Study Says Gray Hair May Be Reversible. (Men's Health)
(8/20) Research from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, published in Nature, has linked graying hair to melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) getting stuck in hair follicle compartments, preventing them from regenerating into pigment cells; the study, which used mice, discovered that McSCs must move between compartments to mature and produce pigment, and when they become immobile, they contribute to gray hair, with Mayumi Ito Suzuki, PhD, professor, the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, and Department of Cell Biology, stating, “It is the loss of chameleon-like function in melanocyte stems cells that may be responsible for graying and loss of hair color,” and Qi Sun, postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health, adding, “The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans.”
Disease-Modifying Therapies Deliver Mixed Results For Late-Onset MS Patients. (Neurology Today)
(8/21) A study from France involving patients aged 55 or older with late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS) found that disease-modifying therapy (DMT) extends the time to first relapse and MRI activity but does not affect disability progression; Kimberly A. O’Neill, MD, clinical instructor, Department of Neurology, highlighted the challenges in diagnosing LOMS due to overlapping symptoms with aging and comorbidities, stating, “This is a population we need to understand better.”
Large-Scale Heart Screening Finds Widespread Risk Factors. (Medscape)
(8/20)* A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and presented at the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand scientific meeting revealed that nearly 70% of 76,085 participants screened at a large-scale, pop-up community health event in Australia between Dec. 15, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2024, had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with Adam N. Berman, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, saying, “It’s about playing the long game, which is something that we can only see a benefit from years down the line,” but prevention “is the key to broadly improving cardiovascular population health.”
Do Women With Acute ACS Face Unnecessary Bleeding Risk? (Medscape)
(8/20)* A consensus statement from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions and the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Thrombosis emphasizes that women face higher bleeding risks from antithrombotic treatments for acute coronary syndromes, with experts such as Sunil Rao, MD, professor, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Langone Heart, advocating for more sex-specific clinical trials, saying, “There are very few clinical trials of bleeding reduction that have strong female representation,” noting that more trials such as this are needed “to help guide the clinical community on how to mitigate the risks of antithrombotic therapy in women.”
Restricted Blood Flow Speeds Tumor Growth By Aging The Immune System. (Technology Networks)
(8/20) A study from NYU Langone Health, published in JACC: CardioOncology, reveals that restricted blood flow accelerates breast tumor growth in mice by altering immune cell populations, highlighting a potential link between peripheral artery disease and cancer progression, with corresponding author Kathryn J. Moore, PhD, the Jean and David Blechman Professor of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, the Leon H. Division of Cardiology, and professor, Department of Cell Biology, saying, “Our study shows that impaired blood flow drives cancer growth regardless of where it happens in the body,” adding that the “link between peripheral artery disease and breast cancer growth underscores the critical importance of addressing metabolic and vascular risk factors as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment strategy.”
Getting Back Into The School Routine. (Long Island (NY) Advance)
Paywalled* The (8/21) Carly Gennaro, DO, clinical assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine, offers back-to-school advice, recommending parents re-establish sleep schedules a week prior to school, ensure consistent meal times, and encourage reading to engage children’s minds; she advises parents to manage stress by exercising and seeking help from family and friends, and suggests using a whiteboard for scheduling and involving children in daily tasks.
Also reporting is (8/21).
Doctors’ Number-1 Tip To Prevent This Serious Kind Of Infection. (Prevention Magazine)
(8/20) NYU Langone Health advises seeking urgent medical care if early signs of a staph infection, such as skin redness, warmth, swelling, tenderness, and blisters, are accompanied by a high fever or systemic infection symptoms.
9 Foods For Constipation That Will Help You Poop. (SELF Magazine)
(8/20) Lisa Ganjhu, DO, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, explained that chronic constipation, often dismissed as trivial, can lead to long-term health issues such as cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer, but incorporating fiber-rich foods like legumes, chia seeds, raspberries, prunes, avocados, apples, pears, whole grains, and fermented foods can alleviate symptoms by enhancing gut motility and introducing beneficial gut bacteria.
News from NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island
At What Age Can My Child Walk To And From School Alone? What California Law Says. (Sacramento (CA) Bee)
(8/20) Sara Siddiqui, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, advises parents to gradually prepare children for walking, saying, “I would recommend parents drive part of the way and have the child walk a short distance in the beginning, or accompany the child but from a distance to ensure safety.”
