Endocrinologists can be particularly helpful in incorporating weight loss therapy into the overall therapeutic plan for refractory cases, he said, or in patients significantly burdened with metabolic complications, including dysglycemia, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Primary care physicians, advanced practice clinicians, dietitians, and others are needed on the team to engineer a successful lifestyle intervention for the obese patient. However, Dr. Garvey emphasized that the endocrinology subspecialty encompasses not only endocrinology and diabetes, but also metabolism.
“We need to take the lead here,” Dr. Garvey said. “Obesity is the most common metabolic disease on the planet.”
Dr. Garvey reported disclosures related to Janssen, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi.