OMA 2026 Recap: GLP-1s in Conditions Beyond Obesity

The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) Annual Conference 2026, in San Diego, California, featured >80 scientific and educational sessions covering everything from nutrition, physical activity, clinical pharmacology, and practice management for obesity care. From major steps forward in incretin therapies to the release of the updated OMA Obesity Algorithm, this year’s meeting brought tons of new data to the forefront of endocrinology care.

In the fourth episode of a 5-part HCPLive Special Report, Raghuveer Vedala, MD, and Shagun Bindlish, MD, discuss the most impactful headlines to come out of OMA 2026 – as well as how these findings can be applied to everyday obesity management and treatment.

The discussion centers on the expanding role of GLP-1 receptor agonists, particularly semaglutide, in obesity and related metabolic disease, and how recent clinical data are reshaping practice. A major focus is the ESSENCE trial in metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH), where semaglutide 2.4 mg demonstrated significant histologic benefit, with steatohepatitis resolution in roughly 63% of treated patients versus 34% with placebo. This has contributed to increased clinical confidence following accelerated regulatory action and updated guidance supporting GLP-1–based therapy in patients with obesity and MASH. The speakers emphasize that this is also helping unify care across specialties—endocrinology, hepatology, gastroenterology, and primary care—under a broader metabolic syndrome framework rather than siloed disease management.

Beyond weight loss, the conversation highlights emerging mechanistic insights suggesting GLP-1 therapies may exert direct cardiometabolic and anti-inflammatory effects. These include potential modulation of inflammatory pathways such as interleukin-6 signaling, which may help explain observed cardiovascular and renal benefits beyond what would be expected from weight reduction alone. At the same time, new safety considerations are discussed, including post-marketing signals related to psychiatric adverse events such as suicidality, which remain unconfirmed causally but are prompting closer monitoring and proactive patient counseling. Additional emerging adverse effects, such as dysesthesia and neuropathic-type sensations reported with higher-dose formulations, are also noted, reinforcing the importance of individualized risk–benefit assessment and surveillance.

The discussion then shifts to bariatric surgery as an enduring pillar of obesity treatment alongside pharmacotherapy. Updated BMI thresholds are reviewed (≥35 kg/m² regardless of comorbidity, or 30–34.9 kg/m² with metabolic disease), and the speakers emphasize that surgery remains highly effective, particularly for patients who do not tolerate or respond adequately to GLP-1 therapies. Practical perioperative considerations are highlighted, including evolving guidance on holding GLP-1 agents prior to surgery due to delayed gastric emptying and aspiration risk, as well as the potential role of preoperative liquid diets and point-of-care ultrasound assessment. Overall, the segment reinforces a patient-centered, multimodal approach in which medications, surgery, and lifestyle interventions are integrated rather than viewed as competing strategies.