Obesity and dietitian societies have joined forces to issue a new consensus statement on recommendations surrounding use of obesity drugs for weight loss treatment. The consensus statement is being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026) in Istanbul, Turkey, and co-authored by lead author Dr Laurence Dobbie, Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Life Course & Population Sciences, King’s College London, UK as part of an international team of 26 authors.

A nationwide study from Denmark presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) in Istanbul, Turkey, shows that use of semaglutide (Wegovy) for weight management is associated with a 7% reduction in the use of triptan-class drugs for treatment in migraine one year after initiation. A sex-specific effect was observed, with women demonstrating an 8% reduction and men showing no significant change. The study is by Professor Anton Pottegård and Assistant Professor Noémie Roland, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark, and colleagues including from Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, who sponsored the study. 

A meta-analysis of 32 studies and 43,618 adults presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) shows that use of new classes of obesity drugs for weight loss is associated with a clinically relevant drop in blood pressure (BP): a 0.34 mmHg reduction in systolic BP per 1% weight loss. The study is by Dr Marcel Muskiet at the Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands and Professor David Cherney and colleagues from the University Health Network / University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

UCLA Health will lead a $9 million, multi-institution research project to further elucidate the link between exposure to pollutants including certain pesticides, air pollution and the increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.

A study published this month in the American Journal of Managed Care explores how integrating behavioral health care into primary care can improve outcomes and be cost-effective for adults with depression, anxiety and chronic pain who are on long-term opioid therapy. 

Alternative therapies that aid the body’s immune system to fight bacteria have shown promise in addressing the global threat of antibiotic resistance.

In response to physician shortages in certain specialties of medicine, as well as changes in federal student loan borrowing limits, the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine is joining the ranks of medical schools nationwide that offer an accelerated three-year MD degree.

“There are about 35 medical schools around the country that are doing this right now,” says Jennifer Adams, MD, professor of internal medicine, associate dean of medical education, clerkship phase, and director of accelerated pathway programs. “We're joining a small but mighty group that is trying to address two important factors. One is rising concerns around student debt and the cost of medical education, and the second thing is physician workforce shortages.”

The latest research from journals of the American Meteorological Society discusses heat deaths and warning thresholds, forecasting "flaming clouds", hurricane reconnaissance, increased U.S. precipitation volatility, and more.