MASLD affects nearly one in three adults worldwide, yet many patients remain undiagnosed until advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis develops. So, which patients should clinicians actually be screening? When is a FIB-4 enough, and when should we move to elastography or hepatology referral? And are we finally entering an era where we can meaningfully treat MASH?

In this Beyond Journal Club episode, we unpack the evolving language of steatotic liver disease and take a close look at two major trials: MAESTRO-NASH studying resmetirom, the first FDA-approved liver-directed therapy for MASH, and ESSENCE, evaluating semaglutide in biopsy-confirmed disease.

Along the way, we explore what these biopsy-based histologic endpoints really mean, why placebo responses were surprisingly high, and whether improvements in steatohepatitis and fibrosis will ultimately translate into better clinical outcomes for patients.

This episode is for clinicians trying to understand where the field is headed, which patients deserve closer attention, and how metabolic liver disease is increasingly becoming part of everyday primary care and hospital medicine.

🔹Sponsor: Oakstone CME

Use the code "CORE25" for 25% off: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/MKSAP

🔹Transcript and Shownotes:

01:57 | Understanding MASLD as a Systemic Disease

05:45 | MASLD vs MASH vs Met-ALD: Spectrum Steatotic Liver Disease

08:55 | How to Screen for Fibrosis (FIB-4 & FibroScan)

16:15 | Lifestyle Treatment & Weight Loss Targets

19:00 | ESSENCE Trial: Semaglutide for MASH

21:58 | MAESTRO-NASH Trial: Resmetirom

27:27 | Future Treatments for MASH

30:51 | Key Takeaways for Clinicians

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, Hepatology, Fatty Liver Disease, Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatohepatitis, Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Liver Fibrosis

How to choose between RUQ ultrasound, CT, HIDA, MRCP, EUS, and ERCP based on the clinical picture? When should you move from diagnostic imaging to therapeutic ERCP, and what should you know about sphincterotomy, stents, and stone removal? Plus, how to interpret bile duct dilation without jumping straight to obstruction?

🔹Sponsor: Oakstone CME

Use the code "CORE25" for 25% off: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/MKSAP

🔹Transcript and Shownotes

02:11 | Pearl 1: Gallbladder Problems Spectrum

07:33 | Pearl 2: Choose Imaging Strategically: Start with RUQUS, Escalate as Needed

14:34 | Pearl 3: Biliary Tree Diagnostics

19:19 | Pearl 4: Invasives that are Diagnostic and Therapeutic

27:06 | Pearl 5: Stenting in ERCP

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, Gallstones, Cholecystitis, Biliary Disease, ERCP, Biliary Imaging

Throwback: Should you really fluid-restrict every patient with SIADH? When can IV fluids make hyponatremia better or worse? Are salt tabs actually doing enough? And what can urine studies tell you before you start treatment? Join us for a practical, physiology-driven approach to hyponatremia management, from fluids and solutes to loop diuretics and identifying the underlying cause.

🔹Sponsor: Search “Amazon Pharmacy Nationwide Home Delivery" in your EHR to get home delivery (often same-day). Learn more here.

🔹Transcript and Shownotes

6:46 | Pearl 1: Key Principles

15:13 | Pearl 2: Fluids in hyponatremia

26: 03 | Pearl 3: Solutes in hyponatremia management

35:49 | Pearl 4: Lasix in hyponatremia management

40:05 | Pearl 5: Etiologies

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, SIADH, Fluid Restriction, Nephrology, Hospital Medicine, Urine Osmolality

Why is fluid management the most important part of dialysis care? This episode explores the fundamentals of hemodialysis, why ESKD patients have unique physiology, and how volume overload, not just hypertension, drives many complications. Learn practical pearls on dry weight, sodium restriction, diuretics, and the strategies that can reduce hospitalizations and improve patient outcomes.

🔹Sponsor: Oakstone CME

Use the code "CORE25" for 25% off: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/MKSAP

🔹Transcript and Shownotes:

02:49 | Pearl 1: Foundations of Dialysis

09:21 | Pearl 2: Distinct Physiology

11:42 | Pearl 3: Why is fluid management so important?

19:43 | Pearl 4: Fluid Management Pro-tips

25:31 | Pearl 5: Diuretics in Patients with Residual Kidney Function

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, Nephrology, Dialysis, End-stage kidney disease, Hypertension, Kidney Health, Dry Weight, Volume Overload

Why can lower-dose combinations be more effective and better tolerated than maximizing one medication? How to troubleshoot common challenges such as amlodipine edema, gout, electrolyte abnormalities, and the patient who says they cannot tolerate anything? Why ACT (ARBs, Calcium Channel Blockers, Thiazides) is the preferred first-line framework, and how to personalize medication choices based on comorbidities and side effects.

🔹Sponsor: Oakstone CME

Use the code "CORE25" for 25% off: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/MKSAP

🔹Transcript and Shownotes

03:00 | Diagnosing Hypertension

04:10 | When to Start Combination Therapy Instead of Monotherapy

07:00 | Choosing First-Line Therapy Using the ACT Framework

13:23 | Why ARBs Are Often Preferred Over ACE Inhibitors

16:02 | Choosing the Right ARB: Candesartan vs Losartan

18:39 | Comparing Potency & Duration Across First-Line Antihypertensives

20:54 | Amlodipine Edema: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

23:54 | Thiazides: Practical Tips, Electrolyte Problems & Class-Killer Side Effects

29:33 | Managing Patients Who 'Can't Tolerate' Blood Pressure Medications

Tags: Hypertension Management, High Blood Pressure, Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Core IM

Learn from primary care docs what has been practiced and changed from the 2026 ACC/AHA Lipid Guidelines! Learn how the new CPR framework (Calculate, Personalize, Reclassify) and PREVENT risk calculator change statin decisions, why LDL targets are back, and when to use Lp(a), ApoB, and coronary artery calcium (CAC) testing. Discover updated risk-enhancing factors, expanded indications for non-statin therapies, and practical strategies to personalize lipid management for both primary and secondary

🔹Sponsor: Search “Amazon Pharmacy Nationwide Home Delivery" in your EHR to get home delivery (often same-day). Learn more here.

🔹Transcript and Shownotes:

01:17 | Highlight #1 & #2: CPR and PREVENT Score

03:14 | Highlight #3: Updated ASCVD Risk Categories Using the PREVENT Score

05:30 | Highlight #4: LDL Targets Are Back

07:20 | Highlight #5: High-Risk Conditions That Bypass the PREVENT Score

08:41 | Highlight #6: Lp(a) Screening for Everyone

11:51 | Highlight #7: When to Use ApoB Testing

13:16 | Highlight #8: Reproductive Risk Factors

15:29 | Highlight #9: Using CAC to Guide Statin Therapy

19:09 | Highlight #10: Non-Statin Therapies

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, Cholesterol, Statins, LDL, ASCVD, Preventive Cardiology, LpA, ApoB, CAC, ACC2026, Cardiology, PrimaryCare

We start with a gripping story of seizures and use it as a jumping-off point to unpack practical pearls for in-flight emergencies. Along the way: what’s actually in the emergency medical kit, when planes divert, how ground medical support works, altitude physiology, legal protections, and how to stay calm when medicine suddenly happens at 35,000 feet. By the end, you may still sweat a little…but hopefully less than before.

🔹Sponsor: Oakstone CME

Use the code "CORE25" for 25% off: https://www.coreimpodcast.com/MKSAP

🔹Transcript and Shownotes:

04:40 | Emergency Medical Kit (EMK) Standard Contents

08:50 | Role of Ground-Based Medical Support & Flight Diversion Decision-Making

19:35 | Interpreting Hypoxia at Altitude

22:06 | In-Flight Liability

23:35 | Common Chief Concerns & Useful Additional Medications

24:53 | How to Be Resourceful in an Austere Environment

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, In-flight Care, Medical Emergencies, Clinical Reasoning, Seizure Management, Hypoxia, Airway Management, Cardiac Emergency, Syncope, Respiratory Distress

What blood pressure should we target in patients on hemodialysis? Why volume control remains the foundation of treatment? How blood pressure targets differ from the general population. Learn practical pearls on medication timing around dialysis, drug dialyzability, antihypertensive selection, and strategies to prevent intradialytic complications while optimizing long-term outcomes.

🔹Sponsor: Search “Amazon Pharmacy Nationwide Home Delivery" in your EHR to get home delivery (often same-day). Learn more here.

🔹Transcript and Shownotes:

02: 19 | Pearl 1: Blood Pressure Targets

09: 40 | Pearl 2: Timing Medications and Dialyzability

15: 31 | Pearl 3 - Pharmacologic Management Nuances in Dialysis Patients

22: 57 | Putting It All Together: The Medication Hierarchy

Tags: CoreIM, Internal Medicine, Medical Education, Nephrology, ESRD, End-Stage Kidney Disease, Hypertension, Kidney Health, Dry Weight, Volume Overload