Gastroenterology News and Research

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Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine where the digestive system and its disorders are studied.

Drugs formerly contraindicated for inflammatory bowel disease prove beneficial for pain relief

According to two studies published in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, prescription painkillers are effective in easing the pain of patients with dormant inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are not likely to cause symptom flare-ups in IBD patients in remissions

12 Feb 2006

New biochip predicts evolution of inflammatory bowel disease

The treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, has very high costs and can include admissions and surgical interventions. Until now, there was no precise tools to predict the evolution and prognosis of these diseases.

26 Jan 2006

Symposium on celiac disease

A scientific symposium on celiac disease, "Genetic and Immune Mechanisms in Celiac Disease," will be held at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine on Friday, February 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The symposium, hosted by UCSD’s newly established William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease, will be held at the university’s Center for Molecular Genetics conference room.

23 Jan 2006

Do medical specialties reflect the current clinical needs of patients?

In an editorial opening the 2006 Jan issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Giovanni A. fava (University of Bologna) criticizes the current subdivision of clinical medicine in subspecialties.

23 Jan 2006

Loyola to study for first time IV medication for osteopenia and inflammatory bowel diseases

Researchers at the Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease Center and the Division of Gastroenterology at Loyola University Health System are studying a once-yearly, 15-minute infusion of an intravenous (IV) medication in patients with osteopenia (low bone mass) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that, if proven effective, may be considered the standard of treatment.

10 Jan 2006

Promising new therapy for ulcerative colitis

For people with the chronic disease ulcerative colitis, life can be limited to few social functions and trips away from home.

6 Jan 2006

Limitation of combination therapy of Interferon and Ribavirin for older patients with chronic hepatitis C

A new Japanese study examining the effects of combination therapy on older patients with hepatitis C found more adverse effects necessitating discontinuation of treatment, lowering of dosages, and lower long-term benefits in this age group.

5 Jan 2006

Eating chicken may reduce colon cancer risk

A recent study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed that patterns in diet may effect the development of colorectal adenomas, or precancerous polyps of the colon.

19 Dec 2005

Milk thistle extract treatment for liver disease found to be ineffective

Results of high-quality randomized clinical trials have determined that milk thistle extract, a widely used alternative medication, may not have any significant influence on the course of patients with alcoholic liver disease or hepatitis B or C liver disease.

15 Dec 2005

Liver transplants may not be suitable for all cystic fibrosis patients

A new study on patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have had abnormal bleeding from ruptured blood vessels in the esophagus (variceal hemorrhage) as a result of liver disease found that transplant may not be indicated if there are no other indications of advanced liver disease.

5 Dec 2005

Drinking lots of coffee and tea can reduce the risk of chronic liver disease

A study published in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Gastroenterology found that people at high risk for liver injury may be able to reduce their risk for developing chronic liver disease significantly by drinking more than two cups of coffee or tea daily.

2 Dec 2005

Largest hepatitis-C U.S. study defines optimal therapy

Final results of the WIN-R trial,[1] the largest hepatitis C study conducted in U.S. patients, showed that weight-based REBETOL (ribavirin, USP) in combination therapy with PEG-INTRON (peginterferon alfa-2b) achieved significantly higher rates of sustained virologic response (SVR)[2] and lower rates of relapse compared to the combination therapy using a flat dose of ribavirin.

14 Nov 2005

Interferon combined with ribavirin treatment is effective for children with chronic Hepatitis C virus

Nearly half of 118 children with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treated with a combination of interferon-alpha-2b and an optimized dose of ribavirin achieved sustained viral response, and side effects were generally mild.

3 Nov 2005

Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with constipation may have a significant impact on absenteeism

"IBS symptoms of abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating and constipation are associated with impaired quality of life and are the second most common cause of work-related absenteeism," according to Dr. Nigel Flook of the University of Alberta.

1 Nov 2005

Silent reflux may be the cause of sleep disturbances in patients with unexplained sleep disorders

Patients with sleep complaints but no heartburn symptoms suffered episodes of nighttime acid reflux according to research presented at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

1 Nov 2005

Gatorade appears effective in correcting dehydration and improving bowel symptoms

A double-blind trial of oral rehydration solutions for children with diarrhea and vomiting related to acute viral gastroenteritis found that Gatorade is as effective as Pedialyte in correcting dehydration and improving bowel symptoms.

1 Nov 2005

Link between the act of lying and a significant increase in gastric arrhythmia

A new study suggests that changes in gastric physiology perform better than standard polygraph methods in distinguishing between lying and telling the truth.

1 Nov 2005

Women more at risk for colorectal cancer

A new study of gender and risk factors for colorectal cancer reveals that while both tobacco and alcohol increase risk for colorectal cancer, women who smoke are at higher risk.

1 Nov 2005

Ibuprofen and naproxen combined with aspirin increase risk of gastrointestinal complications

Patients who combine the common over-the counter pain medications ibuprofen and naproxen with aspirin have a risk of gastrointestinal complications including ulcers, perforations and bleeding that is two to three times greater than patients who take these medications but do not combine them with aspirin.

1 Nov 2005

Study shows impact of birth order on maternal feelings of excessive concern

New research presented at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology suggests that birth order impacts child perceptions of maternal solicitousness toward GI symptoms, particularly in families where the mother has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

1 Nov 2005

Gastroenterology News and Research

Further Reading

Drugs formerly contraindicated for inflammatory bowel disease prove beneficial for pain relief

New biochip predicts evolution of inflammatory bowel disease

Symposium on celiac disease

Do medical specialties reflect the current clinical needs of patients?

Loyola to study for first time IV medication for osteopenia and inflammatory bowel diseases

Promising new therapy for ulcerative colitis

Limitation of combination therapy of Interferon and Ribavirin for older patients with chronic hepatitis C

Eating chicken may reduce colon cancer risk

Milk thistle extract treatment for liver disease found to be ineffective

Liver transplants may not be suitable for all cystic fibrosis patients

Drinking lots of coffee and tea can reduce the risk of chronic liver disease

Largest hepatitis-C U.S. study defines optimal therapy

Interferon combined with ribavirin treatment is effective for children with chronic Hepatitis C virus

Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with constipation may have a significant impact on absenteeism

Silent reflux may be the cause of sleep disturbances in patients with unexplained sleep disorders

Gatorade appears effective in correcting dehydration and improving bowel symptoms

Link between the act of lying and a significant increase in gastric arrhythmia

Women more at risk for colorectal cancer

Ibuprofen and naproxen combined with aspirin increase risk of gastrointestinal complications

Study shows impact of birth order on maternal feelings of excessive concern

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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