NYC Gazette

NYU's basketball teams have achieved success on the court this season, with both women's and men's teams winning conference championships. Now, NYU health researchers are entering a different kind of competition.

Two studies from NYU have been selected for STAT Madness 2025, an annual contest inspired by March Madness that highlights top innovations in science and medicine. Voting for the bracketed competition begins on Monday, March 3.

The studies were chosen by STAT News, a health news site produced by Boston Globe Media. They focus on factors increasing dementia risk and disparities in respiratory failure care.

The first study, published in PLOS ONE by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, indicates that individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at a younger age are more likely to develop dementia than those diagnosed later. The research shows adults with obesity who receive a diabetes diagnosis before age 50 face the highest risk of developing dementia. This understanding could inform prevention strategies for cognitive decline, including treatments targeting obesity.

The second study addresses disparities in respiratory failure care. Conducted by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health and the University of Michigan, it reveals factors contributing to worse outcomes for Hispanic patients with respiratory failure. Published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, the research finds Hispanic patients are five times more likely than non-Hispanic patients to be deeply sedated while on ventilators despite known risks associated with higher sedation levels.

Voting for STAT Madness starts on March 3 and concludes with the championship round on April 6.

In 2023, NYU College of Dentistry researchers won STAT Madness for their development of a topical gel to treat gum disease.