Sherri Katz, MD, FCCP
Sherri Katz, MD, FCCP
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications for OSA will again be a hot topic for sleep medicine clinicians at CHEST 2026, October 18 to 21 in Phoenix.
“There’s a lot of new information coming out about patients who are receiving GLP-1 therapy and how that affects their sleep-disordered breathing or their trajectory through the health care system," said Sherri Katz, MD, FCCP, Chair of the CHEST 2026 Sleep Medicine Curriculum Group. “For example, if they have to undergo anesthesia or have a procedure, this needs to be considered.”
Clinicians can learn more at Rewriting OSA Care: How GLP-1 Therapies Are Reshaping Sleep Medicine. Other OSA-related sessions include New Medications for Treatment of OSA: The SynAIRgy and LunAIRo Trials and Screening and Management of OSA in Pregnancy: Review of Etiology and New Guidelines From CHEST. These sessions will look at the latest medications specific to OSA, as well as how to best treat pregnant patients who have the disorder.
For clinicians who are managing patients with at-home mechanical ventilation, Dr. Katz recommends a fascinating session titled, Altitude Adventures: Navigating Lung Disease, Oxygen, and Ventilators.
“For people who are dependent on respiratory supportive technology, being able to get out into the world is very important,” Dr. Katz said. “And we have innovative sessions showing how people manage to do this.”
It’s the kind of session that helps clinicians of all experience levels deepen their practical knowledge, she noted.
“There are many people who may prescribe ventilators or prescribe respiratory support, but having that depth of experience of ‘here's how I got this patient out to travel somewhere, to go on a ski hill, to get to school with their complicated respiratory needs,’ … is a high-value proposition,” she said.
Dr. Katz first found her way to CHEST via her mentor, Doug McKim, MD. She particularly enjoys how clinicians who treat pediatric and adult patients are integrated at CHEST, rather than siloed, which “allows for crosstalk and unique perspectives.”
“He told me I would find my people at CHEST, and he was quite right,” she said. “It’s a community of like-minded individuals who are a mix of very strong clinicians with a practical focus, leading the way in terms of guiding best practices. That was probably the biggest eye-opening thing for me.”
Now, as Chair of the Sleep Medicine Network, Dr. Katz considers attending the CHEST Annual Meeting not just a great learning experience but a pivotal way to build your career.
“CHEST is a unique conference in that it brings together the latest evidence with practical clinical tools. It introduces you to the experts who are doing this in the field and provides great networking opportunities,” she said.
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