You know how GLP-1s impact diabetes and weight loss. But what about coronary disease treatment and prevention? Liver disease? Heart failure? Osteoarthritis? Sleep apnea? In this special episode, Dr. Neil Skolnik covers it all, exploring what we do—and do not—know about the expanding scope of GLP-1-based therapies.

This special episode is sponsored with support from Lilly.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Donna Ryan, MD, professor emeritus at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and former president of both the Obesity Society and the World Obesity Federation

References:

The expanding landscape of GLP-1 medicines. Nature Medicine volume 32, pages 47–57 (2026) doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-04124-5

Weight-loss-independent actions of GLP-1 medicines. Cell Metabolism, 38, 1535-1539 doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2026.07.006

Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes. N Engl J Med 2023;389:2221-2232 doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563

Welcome to the latest episode (October 2026) of DOC Updates, where every month Neil Skolnik, MD and John Russell, MD review the most important articles on diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease.

This month on DOC Updates:

Zoungas et al; Atorvastatin, Cardiovascular Events, and Disability-free Survival in Older Adults. New England Journal of Medicine, 28 August 2026; doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2607314

Novartis announces Lp(a)HORIZON Phase III topline results for pelacarsen in patients with elevated Lp(a) and established cardiovascular disease (CVD), press release

N. Kruger, et al; Tirzepatide and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular events: population based cohort study. BMJ 2026; 394 doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2026-100011

Dufour, et al; Type 2 Diabetes and Longitudinal Changes in Cortical and Trabecular Bone Density, Microarchitecture, and Strength: The Framingham Study. Diabetes Care 2026; dc260846. doi.org/10.2337/dc26-0846

He, et al; Early Weight Loss in Impaired Glucose Tolerance Is Associated With Reduced Long-term Mortality and Cardiovascular Risk: The Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Outcome Study. Diabetes Care 2026; dc260689. doi.org/10.2337/dc26-0689

Leavens ELS, Pebley K, Smith TT, et al; Nicotine E-Cigarettes for Cigarette Smoking Cessation: Recommendations to US-Based Clinicians. JAMA. 2026;336(9):783–790. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2026.13087

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health

DOC Updates is a monthly podcast that presents and discusses the latest clinically relevant articles from the American Diabetes Association's three science and medical journals—Diabetes, Diabetes Care, and Diabetes, Obesity, and CardioMetabolic CARE. Intended for practicing physicians and health care professionals, DOC Updates discusses how the latest research is relevant in clinical practice.

For information about the American Diabetes Association's scholarly journals, visit diabetesjournals.org. For more about this podcast, click here.

Welcome to the latest episode (September 2026) of DOC Updates, where every month Neil Skolnik, MD and John Russell, MD review the most important articles on diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease.

This month on DOC Updates:

Diaz KM, Murdock ME, Serafini MA, et al. Evaluating movement breaks as a public health strategy to mitigate the harms of prolonged sitting: a large-scale pragmatic intervention. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2026;60:1208-1217.

Chorniy, et al. Progression to Diabetes by Adults With Prediabetes Who Use the National Diabetes Prevention Program: A Natural Experiment. Diabetes Care 20 August 2026; 49 (9): 1576–1584. doi.org/10.2337/dc25-2485

Harnois-Leblanc, et al. Genetic Determinants of Macronutrient Intake Are Associated With Specific Food Intake in Youth: A Cohort Study Across Childhood and Adolescence. Diabetes Care 20 August 2026; 49 (9): 1645–1653. doi.org/10.2337/dc25-2975

Guan, et al. Sarcopenic Obesity and Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study and Landmark Analysis From the UK Biobank. Diabetes Care 20 August 2026; 49 (9): 1663–1668. doi.org/10.2337/dc26-0797

Guo, et al. Life Course Cumulative BMI Burden From Childhood to Adulthood and Risk of Metabolic Multimorbidity: A 36-Year Prospective Cohort Study. Diabetes Care 20 August 2026; 49 (9): 1567–1575. doi.org/10.2337/dc25-2889

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

John J. Russell, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Chair-Department of Family Medicine, Abington Jefferson Health

DOC Updates is a monthly podcast that presents and discusses the latest clinically relevant articles from the American Diabetes Association's three science and medical journals—Diabetes, Diabetes Care, and Diabetes, Obesity, and CardioMetabolic CARE. Intended for practicing physicians and health care professionals, DOC Updates discusses how the latest research is relevant in clinical practice.

For information about the American Diabetes Association's scholarly journals, visit diabetesjournals.org. For more about this podcast, click here.

Uncontrolled and resistant hypertension is more common than we think. In the second episode of this special three-part series, Dr. Neil Skolnik discusses management strategies, but also explores our new understanding of aldosterone and its stealth role in hypertension.

This series is supported with support from AstraZeneca.

Please listen to the episodes by clicking on the podcast player below or by freely subscribing to DOC Updates via Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Payal Kohli, MD, Harvard-educated preventive cardiologist and the Founder and Medical Director of Cherry Creek Heart​ in Aurora Colorado, Associate Adjunct Professor in Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University, and Associate Adjunct Professor in Cardiology at Duke University

Selected references:

2025 AHA/ACC/AANP/AAPA/ABC/ACCP/ACPM/AGS/AMA/ASPC/NMA/PCNA/SGIM Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee. Hypertension 2025; 82(10)

Blood pressure lowering for prevention of cardiovascular disease and death: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet 2016;387:957

Efficacy and Safety of Baxdrostat in Uncontrolled and Resistant Hypertension. N Engl J Med 2025;393:1363-74. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2507109

Primary Aldosteronism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2025, 00, 1–43 https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaf284

A Randomized Trial of Intensive versus Standard Blood-Pressure Control. N Engl J Med 2015;373:2103-2116

What is the difference between MASH and MASLD? In this special episode, Dr. Neil Skolnik breaks down these conditions, which affect insulin resistance of the liver, an area of increasing concern for people with diabetes.

This special episode is sponsored with support from Lilly.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Jay Shubrook, DO, Professor and Diabetologist in the Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health At Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine

Susan Kuchera, MD, Program Director of the Jefferson Health Abington Family MedicineResidency Program and Associate Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.

References:

Clinical Care Pathway for the Risk Stratification and Management of Patients With Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease. Gastroenterology, 2026; 171, 164-183

Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) in People With Diabetes: The Need for Screening and Early Intervention. A Consensus Report of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care 2025;48(7):1057–1082

A Clinical Update on MASLD. JAMA Intern Med. 2025;185;(1):105-107. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.6431

Weight maintenance is a challenging topic for both clinicians and patients. In this special episode, Neil Skolnik is joined by Jamie Almondoz, MD, who discusses the toxic narratives that have historically been part of the weight loss conversation, and the latest strategies for maintaining a healthy weight after the initial loss.

This special episode is sponsored with support from Lilly.

Please listen to the episodes by clicking on the podcast player below or by freely subscribing to DOC Updates via Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Jamie Almondoz, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine and the Medical Director of the Weight Wellness Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Vice-Chair of the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM)

References:

Tirzepatide for maintenance of bodyweight reduction in people with obesity in the USA (SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. June 2026; 407:2305-2318

Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity The STEP 4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2021;325;(14):1414-1425

Orforglipron for maintenance of body weight reduction: the double-blind, randomized phase 3b ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial. Nat Med 32, 2679–2687 (2026)

Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022; 24(8): 1553-1564

To achieve optimal outcomes for patients, it is not only the individual efforts of clinicians that matter in achieving optimal outcomes for our patients. Having a system that supports and facilitates those efforts is essential. In this special episode, Neil Skolnik speaks with Nihar Desai about the challenges of managing chronic kidney disease and diabetes.

This special episode is sponsored with support from Bayer.

Please listen to the episodes by clicking on the podcast player below or by freely subscribing to DOC Updates via Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.

Presented by:

Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; Associate Director, Family Medicine Residency Program, Abington Jefferson Health

Nihar Desai, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Chief of the Section of Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, Investigator at the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, and Medical Director for Value Innovation at the Yale New Haven Health System.

Selected references:

Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. The American Diabetes Association's Standards of Care 2026, Diabetes Care 2026;49 (Supplement_1) :S246–S260

Finerenone in Type 1 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease. N Engl J Med 2026;394:947-957

Effect of Finerenone on Chronic Kidney Disease Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med 2020;383:2219-2229

Dapagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. N Engl J Med 2020;383:1436-1446

Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med 2024;391:109-121

With the launch of a new journal, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is also launching a brand new podcast: The Points of CARE, the official podcast of Diabetes, Obesity, and CardioMetabolic CARE. Join hosts Richard Beaser, MD and Jane Reusch, MD, as they highlight key research findings, clinical implications, and emerging themes across diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic health through interviews with journal authors and subject-matter experts.

1:15 Our hosts speak with Katherine R. Tuttle, MD, FASN, FACP, FNKF, Executive Director of Research at Providence Inland Northwest Health and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is an author of the article "SGLT2 Inhibitors for the Primary Prevention of CKD in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis," available at doi.org/10.2337/doci26-0001.

8:50 Next, Richard introduces Alexander Turchin, MD, MS, Director of Informatics Research at the Division of Endocrinology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is an author of "Trends in Diabetes Medications After Metformin in Patients at High Versus Moderate Cardiovascular Risk: The BESTMED Consortium 2014–2022," available for free at doi.org/10.2337/doc26-0027.

17:05 Richard and Jane highlight special material available in the latest issue of Diabetes, Obesity, and CardioMetabolic CARE.

• "Screening, Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Staging of Obesity in Adults: Standards of Care in Overweight and Obesity—2026," available for free at doi.org/10.2337/doci26-0003

• "Employment and Diabetes: A Statement of the American Diabetes Association," available for free at doi.org/10.2337/doc25-0092.

23:40 Finally, Richard and Jane highlight some of their favorite articles from the July-August issue.

• Vidovic, et al. Behavior Modifications From CUT-DM, Including Lifestyle Modification and Self-Efficacy doi.org/10.2337/doc25-0093

• Chan, et al. Pharmacist-Driven Pre-Visit Planning to Optimize Prescribing in Type 2 Diabetes doi.org/10.2337/doc26-0019

• Bannuru, et al. RAAS Inhibitors for the Primary Prevention of CKD in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis doi.org/10.2337/doci25-0014

• Dimentstein, et al. Goals of Care Among Caregivers of Youths With Type 1 Diabetes doi.org/10.2337/doc26-0035

To learn more about Diabetes, Obesity, and CardioMetabolic CARE please visit diabetesjournals.org/docm-care. Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe.