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.

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