Chief Medical Officer at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Dr. Kevin Most joins the Steve Cochran Show to discuss why health insurance companies may start covering Ozempic for chronic weight management, the reasons behind the holiday season's uptick in heart attacks and strokes, and he explains how micro resolutions may help you achieve your New Years resolution.

Dr. Kevin Most's Steve Cochran Show Notes:

Ozempic and Mounjaro-( GLP-1 drugs)  good for weight loss and diabetes??

1. A couple of new studies came out on these drugs that have been so popular over the past few months
2. Remember these drugs were first used to treat Type 2 diabetes, but it was also noted they also showed great promise with weight loss
3. One study looked at 82,000 diabetics and it  showed that 50% of diabetics who were taking the injectable drug quit taking it within a year
4. The study did not look into why, however side effects include– nausea , vomiting and diarrhea.
5. The bad thing is many stopped taking the medication but did not go back and start a different medication
6. Another study has shown that those individuals who stop taking Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss, have a weight gain rebound
7. Remember this drug is not a cure for weight loss, it just impacts diet as it is taken
8. Long term changes in diet and activity are important in maintaining weight loss

Heart attack  and strokes spikes during holidays

1. We see a spike in Heart attacks over the last two weeks of the year
2. Reasons include- stress, shoveling snow, cold air, sleeping pattern change, excess alcohol, missed medications
3. What can you do

1. Minimize personal stress with some alone time
2. Do not push to shovel a heavy snow- do it in small time frames or better yet hire the kid next door
3. Maintain your normal sleeping pattern
4. Wear a scarf- warming air before it gets to your lungs decreases the chance of the blood vessels constricting
5. Monitor alcohol use and set limits
6. Set reminders for your medications

1. Know the symptoms of a stroke- FASTER
2. F- Face- uneven smile or facial droop
3. A- Arms- one arm drifts or is weaker
4. S- Stability-Dizziness- hard time keeping balance
5. T-Talking- slurred speech- inability to find words- unable to talk
6. E- Eyes- blurred vision- double vision
7. R- React- Call 911

New Year’s Resolutions – we are just a few days away from 2024 and resolutions are always a topic of discussion over the holidays. A common question this time of the year is “What is your NY resolution going to be?”

1. Estimates are that 92% of all resolutions are broken before February
2. Most resolutions are too aggressive and too abrupt, setting one up for failure
3. Do we really think we can break a bad habit just by declaring it as a resolution
4. Most resolutions do not have a well thought game plan behind them and thus we fail
5. Watch advertising these last few weeks, see smoking cessation ads, health club membership ads, weight watchers or the news Ozempic- all will increase as they know individuals will be setting resolutions soon

Most common resolutions to be broken

1. Lose more weight and exercise more- 60% of gym memberships are only used a few times thru February and then forgotten
2. Quit smoking- only 15% of this resolution is still in place on June 1st
3. Drink less alcohol- this one is often broken on NY Day at the Bloody Mary bar before the first Bowl Game of the day.

A popular concept that I support is the concept of Micro resolutions. These are resolution that you set for a month, with the hopes that some of the impact will continue. The individual now has a goal of 30 days versus a forever goal. These are much easier to attain and complete, they give you a mental health feeling of accomplishment versus the embarrassment of failure. Think of personal goals that you think you could never achieve in the long run, now set them as a micro resolution.

The concept gives an individual to plan how they can attain these goals, and hopefully feel some continued impact. These micro resolutions don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. You can celebrate the last day of the month as you plan for the next month

Examples of Micro resolutions that I like

1. One month of no fast food- great impact on your weight, blood pressure and wallet
2. One month of avoiding sweets/desserts- less calories, less fat grams
3. One month of avoiding soft drinks or sweetened drinks
4. One month of checking your phones outside of the dinner table- no screen time- great for family discussions
5. One month of taking a walk after dinner – exercise and mental health
6. One month of doing a crossword puzzle or sudoku each day
7. One month of giving up Facebook- you don’t need to know what the Jones’s are doing, they will call if important.
8. One month of saving $5-10 a day- you realize that saving is easy and helps mental health. For children encourage them to save as well
9. One month of Micro vacation weekends with the kids- get on the train, go to the museums, do an overnight in a state park
10. One month of learning a new word each day from a foreign language
11. One month of decreasing your smoking habits- try to make the decrease 10-30% each day, don’t skip a day
12. One month of actual counting your calories daily and log them along with weight
13. One month of making sure you have a fresh fruit or vegetable with each meal
14. One month of going to sleep one hour earlier than you normally do
15. One month of volunteering or doing community service
16. One month of delivering a donation to a local foodbank
17. One month of no drinking- (many pick February….only 28 days)
18. One month of not doing work emails from home
19. One month of reading at least 4 books instead of TV

Each of these could have been a grand resolution, but not completely sustainable. The concept of 30 days gives one a sense of hope, pride and accomplishment. The shorter time frame it sets up a goal that is reachable, and thus gives a sense of accomplishment and pride.  Portions of these will then be sustainable as you move forward. You may find you can get by with 3 less cigarettes a day. You may find that saving $5/ day adds up. The month without fast food may remind you how much it costs and the impact it has on one’s health.

This is a great conversation piece with your children, let them participate, let them pick the month specific for the micro resolution. Use it as a check in, remind them of what the accomplishment is for the month. Share them with your coworkers, the individual you take a smoking break with perhaps will cut back as well.