Gallstones News and Research

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Gallstones are small, pebble-like substances that develop in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped sac located below your liver in the right upper abdomen. Gallstones form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. The liquid—called bile—helps the body digest fats. Bile is made in the liver, then stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it. The gallbladder contracts and pushes the bile into a tube—called the common bile duct—that carries it to the small intestine, where it helps with digestion.

Abbott issues statement in response to FDA's mixed vote for weight loss medication sibutramine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today held an Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee to review the results of SCOUT and the weight loss medication sibutramine (sold as Meridia® in the United States).

16 Sep 2010

Study links obesity rates with walking and cycling rates

A study authored by Professor David Bassett Jr. from the Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and three other researchers was published in the American Journal of Public Health, concluding that communities with more walkers and cyclists are healthier than those where people must rely on cars to get around.

20 Aug 2010

Report shows more than one way to get rid of cholesterol

Many of us are simply overloaded with cholesterol, and now a report in the July issue of Cell Metabolism brings what might be good news: There is more than one way to get rid of that cholesterol, which can otherwise lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease.

8 Jul 2010

JANUMET results in greater blood sugar reductions in patients with type 2 diabetes compared to pioglitazone

New data were presented at the American Diabetes Association 70th Annual Scientific Sessions from a study comparing JANUMET (sitagliptin/metformin) to pioglitazone. In this study, JANUMET resulted in significantly greater blood sugar reductions in patients with type 2 diabetes compared with pioglitazone.

28 Jun 2010

Data shows Victoza produces greater reductions in A1c, body weight and FPG than Januvia

Late-breaking Novo Nordisk extension data presented today at the 70th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association showed that once-daily Victoza in combination with metformin produced sustained and significantly greater reductions in A1c, body weight and fasting plasma glucose than Januvia plus metformin at 52 weeks.

28 Jun 2010

Delaying cholecystectomy in elderly patients can increase cost and mortality

New research findings published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons indicate that delaying cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder, in elderly patients with sudden inflammation of the organ often results in increased costs, morbidity and mortality.

3 Jun 2010

Hepcidin is found in various biological fluids, says new research

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of hepcidin in iron metabolism, particularly anaemia of chronic disease and iron overload. There have also been reports of its expression in various proinflammatory disorders and various organs, linking it to innate immunity and iron metabolism.

7 May 2010

GORE VIABIL Biliary Endoprosthesis receives European CE Mark approval for expanded indication

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) today announced it has received European CE Mark approval for an expanded indication of the GORE® VIABIL® Biliary Endoprosthesis that allows removal of the device up to 12 months after implantation for the treatment of benign or malignant biliary strictures. The GORE® VIABIL® Biliary Endoprosthesis first received CE Mark approval in December 1999 and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in January 2002 for the treatment of biliary strictures due to malignant neoplasms.

27 Apr 2010

Victoza produces greater reductions in A1C, FPG and body weight than Januvia: Study

Yesterday, The Lancet published online the results of the first study comparing the once-daily human GLP-1 analog, Victoza (liraglutide [rDNA] injection) with a DPP-4 inhibitor, Januvia. The 26-week trial showed that Victoza produced significantly greater reductions in A1C, fasting plasma glucose, and body weight than Januvia, with similar or better overall treatment satisfaction.

24 Apr 2010

Treatment with high dose UDCA no more effective for NASH: German study

Results of a German study presented today at the International Liver CongressTM 2010, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Liver in Vienna, Austria, have shown that overall, treatment with high dose (23-28mg/kg/d) ursodeoxycholic acid is no more effective than placebo in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, the most advanced form of non-alcoholic liver disease associated with cirrhosis of the liver.

17 Apr 2010

Patients switching to Victoza experience further reductions in A1c and weight loss

Diabetes Care published online the results of the Novo Nordisk LEAD™ 6 extension study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of switching from exenatide, which is taken twice a day, to once-daily Victoza®. Results show that when added to oral antidiabetes drugs, patients who switched from exenatide to Victoza experienced further reductions in A1c and weight loss.

31 Mar 2010

Humans can harbor bacteria in gallstones, infect others with active typhoid fever

A new study suggests that the bacteria that cause typhoid fever collect in tiny but persistent communities on gallstones, making the infection particularly hard to fight in so-called "carriers" - people who have the disease but show no symptoms.

23 Feb 2010

Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis can be operated within 48 hours of admission

Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis usually stay in the hospital for several days, waiting for the symptoms to subside, before undergoing surgery to remedy the condition. A new study from researchers at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) indicates patients may no longer have to wait so long for surgery and could leave the hospital sooner.

5 Feb 2010

Manchester Pharmaceuticals' Chenodal now available for patients suffering from gallstones

Manchester Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(TM) announced today the availability of Chenodal(TM) 250 mg (chenodiol tablets). On October 22, 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Chenodal, an important therapy for patients suffering from gallstones in whom surgery poses an unacceptable health risk due to disease or advanced age.

15 Dec 2009

Cholesterol-lowering drugs associated with reduced risk of gallstone disease

Use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins for more than a year is associated with a reduced risk of having gallstones requiring surgery, according to a study in the November 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Nov 2009

Delays contribute to unnecessary ER visits and additional imaging services in symptomatic gallstone treatment

Getting patients to the operating room more quickly could cut by half the amount paid for hospital treatment of painful gallstones, researchers reported today at the 2009 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

15 Oct 2009

Study to determine the outcomes and complications of ERCP in a community practice to appear in GIE journal

A new study from researchers in Minnesota found that endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) performed in a community hospital setting results in complication rates that compare favorably with those of academic centers while achieving technical success at or above the performance levels recommended by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE)/American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Task Force.

17 Sep 2009

Forty-six uninsured San Diego County patients to receive free surgeries, procedures

Forty-six uninsured San Diego County patients will receive donated outpatient surgeries and procedures on Saturday, August 22, 2009, through an ongoing partnership between Project Access San Diego (PASD), a program of the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance Healthcare Foundation. PASD mobilizes medical volunteers to provide free surgeries and procedures to uninsured San Diegans.

19 Aug 2009

Moderate alcohol consumption reduces risk of gallstones

Health researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have found that drinking two units of alcohol per day reduces the risk of developing gallstones by a third.

31 May 2009

Trends in gallbladder cancer over forty years

Overall prognosis for gallbladder cancer appears to be improving, although many patients still have incurable disease and poor survival rates, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Surgery.

18 May 2009