VIDEO: ACP meeting highlights include GLP-1 agonists, exercise tips, rise in syphilis

BOSTON — In this video, Healio Primary Care Peer Perspective Board Member Alan Dow, MD, MSHA, FACP, highlights important takeaways from the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting.

One of the most frequently discussed topics was advances in therapies for metabolic diseases, in particular SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists, according to Dow, who is the division chief of hospital medicine and Ruth and Seymour Perlin Tenured Professor of Medicine and Health Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“It reminded me a lot of when statins first came out and we were learning all the wonderful things that statins could do,” he said. “[It’s] fantastic to see the evidence continue to accrue for the benefit of these and how they can help our patients.”

The rise in syphilis cases was another a recurring theme throughout the meeting.

“Our syphilis rates in this country are now the highest that they’ve been in 50 years,” Dow said. “We’re seeing a particularly high rate of syphilis complications in women and in babies.”

Dow also talked about presentations on how to counsel patients about the health benefits of exercise, the role of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in severe autoimmune disease and more.

Reference:

• Dow A, et al. Internal Medicine Meeting 2024 highlights and doctor's dilemma: The finals. Presented at: ACP Internal Medicine Meeting; April 18-20, 2024; Boston.