Dr. John Batsis recently presented at the National Institute on Aging’s Research Centers Collaborative Network Workshop on Nutrition and Aging Biology in San Francisco. He spoke on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists’ Effect in Older Adults. Dr. Batsis’ UNC colleague Danae Gross also gave presentation at the conference. Her talk was entitled Diet, Sarcopenia, and Obesity. This … Read more

Among older adults, losing weight can be a life-changing choice. In some cases, weight loss can help extend a person’s lifespan by reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These are two conditions which affect older adults in greater proportion than younger people. Although GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic were created to treat … Read more

While working in a primary care setting during his medical residency, Dr. Fernando Diaz observed a striking disparity. He was seeing many older patients with advanced-stage cancer diagnoses. And many of them were Spanish-speaking, foreign-born, and uninsured. As the child of immigrants, Dr. Diaz says, “I saw my family in those patients.” Currently, Dr. Diaz … Read more

In recent years, the ties between the state of North Carolina and the country of Japan have steadily strengthened. Last year alone, Japanese companies invested over $10 billion in new projects and created over 3,000 new jobs in North Carolina. On April 12, 2024, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Triangle. Kishida even … Read more

Dr. John Batsis recently spoke with Verywell about his concerns regarding the prescribing of weight loss drugs. Batsis believes that some people want quick fixes from providers who are willing to prescribe weight management medications. However, he said that weight loss medications are only one part of a comprehensive plan. “Obesity is a chronic disease,” … Read more

The UNC Division of Geriatric Medicine will hold this year’s Interdisciplinary Geriatrics Conference May 15, 2024 at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens. It will focus on the 4Ms model of care – Mentation, what Matters, Medications, and Mobility – with a particular focus on the care of hospitalized people with dementia. Topics include Cognitive impairment, … Read more

A recent episode of The Core IM podcast featured several UNC Department of Medicine practitioners who discussed issues related to heart failure and guardianship. The episode is divided into three segments. In Deep Dive 1, UNC geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine Dr. Emily Cetrone discussed ways for approaching guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) of heart … Read more

In general, diagnosing depression can be challenging. Since there’s no single, definitive test for diagnosing the condition, it is important to consider other possible reasons behind depression-like symptoms in older adults. In a recent AARP article, Dr. Meredith Gilliam says, “the symptoms may overlap with chronic medical conditions, early dementia, hearing and vision loss, and … Read more

In the December 2023 issue of Insights & Implications in Gerontology, Dr. John Batsis and colleagues dive into ‘The Chronic Disease of Obesity.’ In this publication, the team discusses: Current concepts are presented about the complex interplay among the stomach, liver, pancreas, brain, and metabolic processes of the body Recognition of obesity as a chronic … Read more

The Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) Research Education Component (REC) Core announces a new Research Curriculum. This curated collection includes video presentations on basic science and statistics. However it also includes more in-depth talks like keynote addresses and clinical presentations from past ADRC events like the SLAM-DUNC conference. This curriculum is available for anyone … Read more

New anti-obesity medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are very popular these days. Although many people benefit from these new drugs, they can be risky for older people. In fact, the downsides of these medications for older patients can be very serious. Some of the potential risks for people over 60 who take these medications include … Read more

At this year’s ObesityWeek conference, antiobesity drugs were a prominent part of the discussions. As John A. Batsis, MD says, “There was a huge focus on newer medications, their efficacy, their safety, gaps in knowledge, and what future studies are needed.” In his research, Dr. Batsis focuses on obesity and physical function in older adults. … Read more