Annals of Internal Medicine presents breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2026

Authors discuss evidence-based research on mammography screening, AI in medicine, and obesity medications and body composition

SAN FRANCISCO, April 17, 2026 - Today at ACP's annual meeting, Internal Medicine Meeting 2026, Annals of Internal Medicine presented three breaking research articles during a live scientific plenary session that featured the authors of those articles. The articles were published in ACP's flagship journal concurrently with the live meeting presentation. During the session, New in Annals of Internal Medicine: Hear it First from the Authors, researchers presented their work to meeting attendees and provided insight into ACP's guidance statement on mammography screening for breast cancer, the use of AI for medical documentation, and the effect of weight loss medications on body composition.

Christine Laine, M.D., MPH, Annals of Internal Medicine Editor-in-Chief and ACP Senior Vice President, introduced the authors and facilitated a discussion on each topic. The articles and presentations included:

• Screening for Breast Cancer in Asymptomatic, Average-Risk Adult Females: A Guidance Statement from the American College of Physicians.
  Carolyn Crandall, M.D. Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Chair of ACP's Clinical Guidelines Committee, provided context and rationale for the advice detailed in ACP's new mammography screening guidance statement. Dr. Crandall explained that women at average risk between the ages of 50 and 74 should undergo biennial mammography screening for breast cancer. Females between the ages of 40 and 49 should discuss with their doctor their risk for breast cancer and the benefits and harms of screening, such as false positive results, psychological distress because of it, overdiagnosis, overtreatment, additional testing, and radiation exposure before making a shared decision about screening. ACP also provided advice for women with dense breasts, Dr. Crandall explained. ACP suggests doctors consider supplemental digital breast tomosynthesis in this population, advising against using supplemental MRI or ultrasound. Decisions should consider potential benefits and harms, radiation exposure, availability, patient values and preferences, and costs. Dr. Crandall noted that ACP's guidance is based on a systematic review of the best-available evidence, taking into consideration important population-related benefits and harms.
  
• Documentation of Artificial Intelligence-Generated and Human-Produced Clinical Notes
  Ashok Reddy, MD, MSc, Associate Director of the VA Primary Care Analytics Team for the Veterans Health Administration, Deputy Section Head for the VA Puget Sound, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, discussed findings of a study comparing the quality of doctors' notes generated by ambient AI scribe tools or those written by human clinicians. The researchers compared recordings of five standardized primary care visits and asked 11 AI scribe tools and 18 human clinicians to generate clinical notes from them. In every case and by every measure, human notes scored better than AI notes for accuracy, thoroughness, usefulness, organization, and comprehensiveness. Dr. Reddy explained that while AI scribe tools may reduce administrative burden, they should be regarded as a tool for generating draft documentation that requires careful review and editing. He warned that AI is currently no substitute for clinician-authored notes.
  
• Effect of Incretin-Based and Nonpharmacologic Weight Loss on Body Composition
  John A. Batsis M.D., Associate Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine and the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, explained how incretin-based medications affect body composition. Dr. Batsis and colleagues reviewed 36 randomized controlled trials reporting on body composition outcomes among adults with overweight or obesity taking liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide, or dulaglutide compared with nonpharmacologic interventions or placebo. They found that while the medications reduced total weight, body fat, and visceral fat, the proportion of weight lost from muscle-related tissue was concerning. Dr. Batsis noted that half of the placebo/lifestyle interventions examined also exceeded prespecified benchmarks for muscle-related loss, despite these interventions often leading to more modest weight loss. The researchers stress the need for clinicians to proactively counsel patients around muscle-related losses associated with weight reduction and muscle-preserving strategies to incorporate alongside pharmacotherapy.

"The Annals scientific plenary session has become a vital forum for showcasing practice changing research at ACP's Internal Medicine Meeting, and attendees should leave knowing they have new information- that will help them provide the best possible patient care. The studies featured this year once again reflect the rigor, curiosity, and clinical relevance that Annals readers and ACP members consistently expect," said Dr. Laine.

###

About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 172 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 163,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our RSS feed.

About Annals of Internal Medicine
Annals of Internal Medicine is the flagship journal of the American College of Physicians (ACP). Annals is the most cited general internal medicine journal and one of the most influential peer-reviewed clinical journals in the world. Annals' mission is to promote excellence in medicine, enable physicians and other health care professionals to be well-informed members of the medical community and society, advance standards in the conduct and reporting of medical research, and contribute to improving the health of people worldwide. New content is published every Tuesday at Annals.org. Follow Annals on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and on Facebook.

Contact: Angela Collom, (609) 367-4225, [email protected]