Weekly Dose Podcast: FDA Breakthrough in Acromegaly, Alcohol–Dementia Risk Clarified, Tirzepatide in Youth T2D, Precision Mood Gains, and Major Contraception Practice Insights

The newest episode of the Weekly Dose Podcast from Patient Care® offers a focused roundup of 5 major clinical updates for primary care physicians, spanning endocrinology, neurology, diabetes, mental health, and reproductive health.

The episode opens with a landmark approval in endocrinology: paltusotine, the first once-daily oral therapy for acromegaly. Supported by robust phase 3 data, the treatment demonstrated strong biochemical control, significant symptom improvement, and a favorable safety profile. For many patients, the option to replace long-standing injectable therapies with an oral alternative may substantially reduce treatment burden.

Next, a large pooled analysis from US and UK cohorts, strengthened by extensive genetic data, challenges long-standing assumptions about alcohol intake and cognitive risk. While traditional observational data suggested a U-shaped association—where light drinking appeared protective—Mendelian randomization revealed a different picture. Genetic evidence showed a steady rise in dementia risk with increasing alcohol use, indicating that even modest intake may contribute to long-term cognitive decline.

In diabetes care, new pediatric data from the SURPASS-PEDS trial highlight the potential of tirzepatide for adolescents with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on standard therapies. Participants experienced marked reductions in HbA1c and BMI, with nearly 90% of those receiving the 10 mg dose achieving the recommended A1c target. These improvements persisted over a full year, offering encouraging evidence for an aggressive and difficult-to-treat population.

The episode also explores a precision-medicine approach to mood symptoms in patients with cognitive impairment. A preprint analysis of the multifactorial ReCODE program showed a clinically meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms after just one month, with many participants shifting from moderate to mild depression. These early gains exceeded typical responses to first-line antidepressants and were most pronounced among patients with more severe baseline symptoms.

Finally, new reproductive health research from a long-term follow-up of the ACCORd contraceptive counseling trial demonstrates sustained benefits of structured, nonbiased contraceptive counseling paired with rapid referral for LARC insertion. Three years after intervention, continuation rates were substantially higher, unintended pregnancies were cut in half, and hormonal IUD users reported the greatest satisfaction. The findings reinforce the value of provider-centered counseling models for improving contraceptive outcomes in primary care.