Author Archives: Jamie Garrett

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

It’s common for older adults to take multiple medications. And while some patients  choose to take as few medications as possible, Dr. Josh Niznik says that others, “cling to their medications for some source of security.” In light of this, some prescribers may find it hard to deprescribe medications that...

Dr. John Batsis was recently involved in a National Council on Aging Roundtable on Obesity and Equitable Aging. Held in Washington, DC, the event involved a number of professional organizations. It’s goals were to: shift the mindset on obesity so it is addressed as a serious chronic disease discuss the...

Congratulation to MSTAR student Mary Kaufmann for winning Best Poster at two separate events and for two different posters. She won the overall poster competition at the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) Conference. And at the annual 2023 Student Research Day, Kaufmann won Best Poster in the basic science category....

At the Obesity Society’s recent Obesity Week in Dallas, TX, associate professor Dr. John Batsis presented research, moderated sessions, and was included as part of the Coffee with Professors Q&As. Dr. Batsis chaired and moderated a joint symposium and on the four-step KAER framework. The steps include: Kickstart the conversation...

“Helping people, solving problems, and getting to know people more deeply.” Those are Dr. Lindsay Wilson’s reasons for becoming a doctor. When asked why she chose geriatric medicine, Dr. Wilson says, “I love the relationships I have with my older patients, who often treat me like family. I also love...