Members of The University of Alabama’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) had the opportunity to ask health-related questions to Drs. Jane and Tom Weida, family medicine physicians at University Medical Center, during a February Mini Medical School presentation.
Mini Medical School is a collaborative program of UMC and OLLI that provides lectures by UMC health-care providers to OLLI members. The lectures are also open to the public.
A common question during the “Ask the Doc” presentation was about bird flu, or avian influenza, a contagious disease that affects birds and some animals. The Weidas said there have been cases of bird flu in chickens and cows on farms in the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said bird flu has spread to some farm workers.
“It hasn’t become a huge health risk, but if we admit somebody to the hospital that tested positive for the flu, the CDC is suggesting we send it for subtyping to see if it’s actually bird flu,” said Tom Weida.
Bird flu has similar symptoms to regular flu that range from mild to severe illness, including difficulty breathing, pneumonia and potentially death.
The Weidas were asked how weight loss medications work. Jane Weida said the most common weight loss medications are called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
“In people with Type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin,” she said. “The GLP-1 medications prompt the pancreas to release insulin and suppress glucagon, both of which help control blood sugar levels in those with Type 2 diabetes. For weight loss, the medications act in the brain to reduce hunger and slow the movement of food through the stomach.”
Weida said if people stop taking the medications, the weight they lost could come back. But if they have a healthy diet and exercise, they can maintain their weight loss.