ENDO 2023 highlights: Earlier eating improves metabolic health; BMI underestimates weight

Last week, experts converged to discuss their latest updates at the Endocrine Society annual meeting, or ENDO 2023.

The sessions covered a wide variety of topics, including obesity, the health effects of climate change, nutrition, diabetes management and more.

Perhaps one of the most important studies presented at the meeting demonstrated that men who receive testosterone therapy were not at an increased risk for major cardiovascular events. The TRAVERSE trial results were presented by A. Michael Lincoff, MD, vice chair for research, cardiovascular medicine and professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic, and were simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Also, Joanne Bruno, MD, PhD, an endocrinology fellow at NYU Langone Health in New York, and colleagues reported that consuming 80% of calories before 1 p.m. vs. a later, normal eating pattern reduced blood sugar fluctuation, leading to improvements in metabolic health while keeping individuals at their regularly maintained weight.

During another presentation, Aayush Visaria, MD, MPH, an internal medicine resident physician at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and colleagues reported that BMI can underestimate obesity compared with body fat percentage, particularly in certain ethnic and racial groups like Hispanic and Asian adults. Visaria told Healio that many clinicians already believe that BMI alone is not an ideal indicator of obesity, but their study is one of the first to characterize this research on a national scale.

Read these and more updates from ENDO 2023 below:

TRAVERSE: Men using testosterone replacement do not have increased risk for CV events

Older men with hypogonadism and high risk for cardiovascular disease who received testosterone therapy had similar rates of cardiovascular events as those who received placebo, according to findings from the TRAVERSE trial. Read more.

Eating early in the day may limit blood glucose elevation, time above range

Adults with obesity and prediabetes had lower glucose elevations and spent less time above range when they ate most of their calories before 1 p.m. compared with a later eating pattern. Read more.

BMI alone under-identifies obesity, particularly among Asian, Hispanic adults

BMI can underestimate obesity compared with body fat percentage determined by DXA scans, particularly among some racial and ethnic groups. Read more.

Health care providers must join fight to combat climate change

Health care providers, institutions and facilities all have roles in reducing global warming and reversing the effects of climate change. Read more.

CGM alarm use varies widely among children with diabetes

Children with diabetes and their caregivers use a wide variety of continuous glucose monitoring alarm settings, and usage may differ based on the child’s age. Read more.

Food insecurity associated with metabolic syndrome for Latina women

Food insecurity, a key social determinant of health, may contribute to the relatively higher rate of metabolic syndrome among U.S. Latina women. Read more.

VIDEO: AMA resolution endorses need for access to gender-confirming hormone therapy

Vin Tangpricha, MD, PhD, discusses recent legislation prohibiting or seeking to prohibit physicians from providing gender-confirming care. Watch video.