Area clinicians got their fix of evidence-based updates during the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism’s annual continuing education conference last week. Presenters shared the latest research, technology, and patient care practices in diabetes and obesity management while overlooking the University of Iowa’s west campus from the fourth floor of the Levitt Center.
Healthcare professionals socialized over a continental breakfast before opening remarks from Clinical Assistant Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism Marcelo Correia, MD, PhD. Correia introduced each speaker and led the question-and-answer session after their presentations, during which audience members discussed practical applications and experiences from their own practices.
The conference kicked off with discussions about the association between ultra-processed foods and obesity, and how the food industry drives their overconsumption. Speakers also highlighted emerging tools for diabetes management, including updated guidelines for a streamlined diabetic foot exam and the expanding capabilities of insulin pumps with automated insulin delivery.
A recurring theme throughout the conference was the increasing popularity of GLP-1 medications for treating obesity and co-morbid conditions. Speakers reviewed the mechanisms and clinical roles of GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual GLP-1/GIP agents and sifted through emerging data on lean mass loss associated with GLP-1 therapy. Audience members and presenters discussed counseling patients on weight-loss expectations, side effects, and maintaining weight loss and healthy eating habits once medications are discontinued.
Conference organizers and attendees welcomed keynote speaker Marcio Griebeler, MD, from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where he serves as Director of the Enterprise Obesity Center and Clinical Director of the Quantitative Metabolic Research Center. Griebeler examined the concept of “diabesity” as a unified target for treatment, in line with the conference’s framework of obesity as a chronic disease requiring ongoing management through a combination of medication, technology, and sustainable lifestyle change.
During lunch and lecture breaks, some attendees took the opportunity to browse the industry vendors lined up in Harding Assembly Hall. Many enjoyed catching up with their colleagues.
After reviewing recent studies in diabetes management and therapy, Yumi Imai, MD, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, thanked division leadership and administrative support for making the conference possible.
Professionals left the Levitt with a more precise roadmap for combining pharmacologic therapies, devices, and consultation strategies to support patients through the full scope of diabetes and obesity care. And by next year’s Advances event, there will be even more data for clinicians to consider when treating patients.