Expert Interviews

Obesity medicine expert Caissa Troutman, MD, suggests using annual physicals as a "gateway" to identify patients with obesity with elevated blood pressure.

Neurologist and clinical investigator Peter McAllister, MD, is eager to make progress in research on diagnosis and treatment and to hear more patient voices.

Panelists discuss how health care providers can identify patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea through screening tools, clinical history assessment, and recognition of key symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, and witnessed breathing pauses during sleep.

Migraine expert Peter McAllister, MD, a long-time principal investigator for migraine studies, wonders if study design in this area needs to be re-evaluated.

Caissa Troutman, MD, an obesity medicine and family medicine physician, emphasizes early treatment of obesity, along with HTN management, can improve patient outcomes.

"This AHS statement has exceeded our wildest dreams..." McAllister said of the impact of the society recommendation that CGRP inhibitors be considered among first-line treatment for migraine.

Significant strides were made in 2024 in evaluating a wide range of treatments for migraine, including phase 2 findings with PACAP inhibition, PI McAllister said.

The onset of migraine with its wide range of symptoms may be telegraphed as early as 2 days before by the frequency of neuronal oscillation deep in the brain.

Panelists discuss how untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) significantly increases patients’ risk of serious health complications, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, and cognitive impairment while exacerbating existing comorbidities.

Geriatric psychiatrist and neurocognitive researcher George Grossberg, MD, highlights the mechanism of action for the new dextromethorphan/bupropion combination.