Endocrine News Podcast

In the last five years, the field of artificial intelligence and robotics has taken off and has become a part of our everyday life, and it continues to grow and evolve. How are AI and robotics shaping the field of medicine? How is it improving the lives of doctors and patients? We used to ask, “What is the role of AI in medicine?” Are we getting closer to a time where we’ll be asking what the role is of humans? To help us answer these questions, host Aaron Lohr talks with Hassan M. Heshmati, MD. Dr. Heshmati has been a physician for 49 years and an endocrinologist for 45 years, with experience in clinical research and academia and in the pharmaceutical biotech industry. He founded Endocrinology Metabolism Consulting, based in Anthem, Ariz., and presented an abstract at ENDO 2025 titled, “Update on the Use of Robotic Surgery and Artificial Intelligence for Adrenal Tumors.” Show notes are available at https://www.endocrine.org/podcast/enp108 — for helpful links or to hear more podcast episodes, visit https://www.endocrine.org/podcast

Technically known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1, these drugs have been around for years for treating diabetes. Now it seems most people think of GLP-1 drugs as medications to lose weight, and these medications are so popular that for a time, supply could not meet demand, leaving many to seek compounded GLP-1 medications, which were more accessible and affordable. However, compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and there are questions regarding their safety and efficacy. What do doctors and patients need to know when considering using compounded obesity medications? To help answer this, host Aaron Lohr talks with Michael Weintraub, MD, an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Division of Endocrinology. Dr. Weintraub serves on the exam writing committee for the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Support for this episode was provided by Lilly. Show notes are available at https://www.endocrine.org/podcast/enp107 — for helpful links or to hear more podcast episodes, visit https://www.endocrine.org/podcast

Bariatric surgery is a procedure used to manage obesity and obesity-related conditions. While studies have shown that bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss, are there cases where it may be important to consider reversing the procedure? What would such cases look like? How effectively can bariatric surgery be reversed? To help explore those questions, host Aaron Lohr talks with Katherine Hazen, MD, a second-year endocrine fellow at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She and colleagues presented an abstract at ENDO 2025 titled, “Going Backwards as a Means of Moving Forward: Severe Hypoglycemia After Bariatric Surgery.” Show notes are available at https://www.endocrine.org/podcast/enp106 — for helpful links or to hear more podcast episodes, visit https://www.endocrine.org/podcast

In this episode, we take a closer look at tirzepatide, a type 2 diabetes medication also used to help with weight loss. Postmenopause weight gain can be a normal part of aging, and there are some questions about whether medications like tirzepatide could be useful and safe for postmenopausal women. Host Aaron Lohr talks with Maria Daniela Hurtado Andrade, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic Florida, and Regina Castaneda, MD, a research fellow at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine & Science. They presented an abstract at ENDO 2025 titled, “One-Year Real-World Weight Loss Outcomes with Tirzepatide in Postmenopausal Women With and Without Hormone Therapy.” Show notes are available at https://www.endocrine.org/podcast/enp105 — for helpful links or to hear more podcast episodes, visit https://www.endocrine.org/podcast

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate supplements for safety and efficacy, so manufacturers don’t have to disclose their ingredients. We can’t always know for certain what’s in supplements we buy over the counter. Host Aaron Lohr talks with Meghana Pattipati, MD, an endocrine specialist at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center in Louisiana. Dr. Pattipati presented a study at ENDO 2025 in San Francisco titled, “Beware of the Hidden Ingredients and Supplement Use in Your Patients With Elevated Testosterone.” The presentation describes a case where a patient unknowingly ingested an ingredient that had a significant endocrine impact. Show notes are available at https://www.endocrine.org/podcast/enp104 — for helpful links or to hear more podcast episodes, visit https://www.endocrine.org/podcast