“Some exciting news in the obesity pharmacotherapy space has occurred, opening up new therapeutic options for an area of metabolic medicine where there remains a great need,” Robert H. Eckel, MD said, referring to last week’s decision by the FDA to approve the obesity drug extended release naltrexone/bupropion (Contrave) and the recommendation by an FDA advisory panel to approve the use of liraglutide, already well known for the treatment of diabetes, in chronically obese patients. In the wake of these announcements, the 2014 CMHC Saturday session and symposia devoted to Lifestyle and Obesity Management are bound to provide much thought-provoking discussion and practical applications for clinicians.
In addition to Dr. Eckel, Caroline M. Apovian, MD will discuss long-term use of obesity medications and sustaining weight loss; Thomas A. Wadden, PhD will present information on behavioral strategies in obesity management; and William E. Kraus, MD will discuss the role of exercise in the modulation of nontraditional CHD risk factors.
Groundbreaking Research
Peter J. Turnbaugh, PhD will discuss his novel research on the impact of gut microbiota on obesity and CVD risk. “Much of what makes us human-many important aspects of our health and predisposition to disease-depends on the metabolic activity of our associated microbes,” he said. Specifically, Dr. Turnbaugh will discuss recent studies implicating gut microbes in obesity, how these interactions are influenced by host and environmental factors, and the potential mechanisms responsible, as well as opportunities for clinical intervention in the coming years.
Rounding out the Obesity day will be Lee M. Kaplan, MD, PhD and Francesco Rubino, MD presenting the latest research and recommendations for bariatric surgery, and Virend K. Somers, PhD addressing the impact of sleep apnea and restricted sleep patterns on cardiometabolic health.
View CMHC highlights – visit CMHC Rewind for featured presentations from the 2014 CMHC.
