JLGH Summer 2026 Recap
Q&A for Extended Learning
Q: How might athletes be affected by Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs)?
A: Athletes with REDs may experience hair loss and cold extremities, irritability and mood changes, fatigue, loss of strength, menstrual changes and decreased libido, among other changes.
Q: How does the National Institutes of Health define frailty, and what is the Dalhousie Clinical Frailty Scale?
A: Frailty is an “age-related increase in vulnerability due to worsened outcomes from everyday or acute stressors.” The Clinical Frailty Scale helps score a patient along a scale that spans from “very fit” — active, motivated, and energetic — to “terminally ill” — has less than six months of life expectancy.
Q: Why is it important to be conscientious about the simultaneous use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors?
A: These two drug classes work along the same pathway, and simultaneous use is considered duplicative because there is minimal benefit to be gained versus monotherapy. Because they are more expensive than some other medications used to treat diabetes, their concomitant use can lead to excessive medication costs for both patients and our health care systems.
Q: What safeguards have been put in place to limit the negative repercussions to patients who interact with our health care systems and research communities?
A: The Nuremberg Code, Belmont Report, International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, stipulations and guidance from the FDA, Institutional Review Boards, and the informed consent process are just a few of the attempts on our part to protect patients who interact with us.
Q: What electrolyte abnormalities are associated with use of ketogenic diets? What symptoms might patients manifest?
A: Ketogenic diets are associated with an increased risk for hypomagnesemia, hypokalemia, hyponatremia, hypocalcemia, and metabolic acidosis, particularly within the first four weeks of the diet. Hypomagnesemia is among the most common early-onset complications. Clinical manifestations might include dizziness, weakness, muscle cramps, tremors, neuromuscular irritability, and fatigue. Severe deficiency may lead to seizures and cardiac arrhythmias.