Alcohol use frequently co-occurs with anxiety disorders, especially during the highly anxiety-provoking circumstances of the current pandemic. People increasingly self-medicate their stress with alcohol, sometimes leading to frank alcohol use disorder. Despite alcohol’s legal status and social acceptability in many countries, it remains a potentially dangerous, toxic substance. Withdrawal from alcohol can be fatal, and medically managed withdrawal is often necessary to ensure patient safety. In this presentation, we will describe the fundamental pharmacology and acute presentations of alcohol use disorder and discuss counseling approaches. We will then explore the clinical aspects of the three FDA-approved medications for its treatment: disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate. We will conclude with some novel ideas about future directions in the pharmacotherapy of alcohol use disorders.

Petros Levounis, MD, MA

Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Chief of Service, University Hospital, Newark, NJ

Obesity is the most prevalent chronic disease of the modern era in the U.S. and around the world, affecting both the adult and pediatric population. Although many believe that helping patients to achieve a healthy weight is of minimal complexity, weight regulation and management is a challenging endeavor. In this talk, the faculty will explore the complexities of obesity and offer a range of strategies (behavioral, therapeutic, and surgical) to help you in the quest to address overweight and obesity in your practice.

Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, FAAP, FACP, FTOS

Obesity Medicine Physician Scientist, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Session Overview to Come

This activity will provide an evidence-based approach to the diagnosis and management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), with minimal diagnostic testing. The faculty will describe evidence-based treatment guidelines and discuss the efficacy of over-the-counter and prescription agents prioritized within the guidelines. This will help you navigate the progress from patient education to diet plus over-the-counter agents to prescription agents.

Philip Schoenfeld, MD, MSEd, MSc

Chief (Emeritus) - Gastroenterology Section, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI

Supported by Allergan and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Salix Pharmaceuticals

One in fifty people in the U.S. has an unruptured brain aneurysm, and one ruptures every 18 minutes. Despite low frequency, brain aneurysms are high in mortality, because the lack of a timely diagnosis often leads to death. Complicating matters more, many of the symptoms are associated with other less dangerous conditions, such as influenza or stress. This session will describe the importance of early detection, since brain aneurysms are treatable via proper identification, and will highlight risk factors and populations who are most vulnerable. Faculty will also review treatment options for clinicians to recognize or use in practice. 

Christopher S. Ogilvy, MD

Director, Endovascular and Operative Neurovascular Surgery, BIDMC Brain Aneurysm Institute, Professor of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA