A study published February 21st in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) provides clinical evidence of the safety and effectiveness of a new magnetic medical device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Santiago Horgan, MD, professor of surgery at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and study co-author, was the first surgeon in the United States to implant the FDA-approved device.
A bracelet-like device with magnetic beads can control the chronic digestive disorder gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to a study published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
According to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, patients with Barrett's esophagus and early or pre-cancerous cells have been shown to significantly benefit from minimally invasive therapy delivered through an endoscope. Until recently, patients with these conditions were treated by surgery to remove the whole esophagus.
A pain in the side can trigger fears of a ruptured appendix. Loyola trauma surgeon, John Santaniello, and patient, Julie Piniella, share their story and health tips.
Heartburn hardship is taking over tailgating parties as football fanatics reach for fried snacks, dips and finger foods. John Fortunato, M.D., pediatric gastroenterologist and associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, discusses why heartburn occurs and offers tips on how to avoid it.
Our bodies contain far more microbial genes than human genes. And a new study suggests that just as human DNA varies from person to person, so too does the massive collection of microbial DNA in the intestine. The research is the first to catalog the genetic variation of microbes that live in the gut.
Irritable bowel syndrome is not “all in the head,” as has been commonly thought. In a review of the literature, Michael Camilleri, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and author of an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, describes a renaissance in the understanding of the condition, also known as IBS. He dismisses the notion that symptoms are specific to a single cause, and says symptoms are indications of several disturbed motor and sensory processes.
In one of the largest studies of its kind ever conducted, an international team of scientists has thrown new light on the genetic basis of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
Statin use is associated with protection from esophagus cancer according to a new meta-analysis of existing clinical studies exploring the cancer prevention effects of statins presented by a Mayo Clinic researcher, Dr. Siddharth Singh, at the American College of Gastroenterology 77th Annual Scientific Meeting in Las Vegas, NV.
The number of patients dying from upper gastrointestinal bleeding has decreased over the past two decades, a result researchers attribute to the advances in medical and endoscopic therapies introduced over the past 20 years, according to a report unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas. One example of how such advances are impacting patient care is described in a separate case report also presented today on the first use of Hemospray™ (Cook Endoscopy) that saved the life of a pediatric patient with life-threatening internal bleeding.
Clinical evidence of the safety and effectiveness of electrical stimulation of a muscular valve in the esophagus demonstrates promising results in resolving symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and is being presented at the 77th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Las Vegas, NV.
Non-compliance with vitamin and mineral supplementation protocols after bariatric surgery could lead to nutritional deficiencies and related health complications, such as heart damage, according to two separate case reports unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.
Patients with chronic constipation may be at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and benign neoplasms, according to study findings unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.
Women under age 50 who have been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, and first, second and third degree relatives of patients with colorectal cancer may have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), according to two separate studies unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas. Two other CRC-related studies presented at ACG 2012 investigated the impact of gender, race and obesity on the incidence of adenoma and advanced adenoma detection rates—suggesting that overweight African American and Hispanic men may be at greater risk for precancerous polyps which if not detected early enough could lead to colorectal cancer.
Patients with Type 2 Diabetes may face an increased risk for Barrett’s Esophagus (BE), regardless of other risk factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), according to research unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.
Diabetic patients who suffer from a common complication of diabetes called gastroparesis may find that chronic electrical stimulation (ES) at specific acupuncture points could relieve gastroparesis symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, early satiety, abdominal fullness, upper abdominal pain and bloating, according to study results unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.
Marijuana use—both natural and synthetic—may cause cannabinoid hyperemesis (CH) a little-known but costly effect that researchers suggest is a serious burden to the health care system as it often leads to expensive diagnostic tests and ineffective treatments in an effort to find the cause of a patient’s symptoms and provide relief, according to two separate case reports unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas. Cannabinoid hyperemesis is characterized by a history of chronic cannabis use followed by a cyclic pattern of nausea, vomiting and colicky abdominal pain. Interestingly, compulsive hot baths or showers temporarily relieve symptoms, another characteristic which aids clinicians in diagnosis.
Advances in endoscopic technologies and techniques will be highlighted in clinical research presented at the 77th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Las Vegas, NV. A Press Briefing with experts on these topics is scheduled for Monday October 22, at 12:45 pm Pacific Daylight Time by dialing toll-free 888-850-4523 (participant code 424049).
Three separate studies presented today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas help to advance understanding of the differences between African American and Caucasian patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and provide clinicians with new insight on how racial disparities involving disease characteristics, infliximab use, and fistulizing Crohn’s disease may impact their patients—and their decisions on how best to manage the disease.
A stay in the hospital may not be the only way to acquire Clostridium difficile diarrhea – but the potentially life-threatening infection may be associated with a number of health complications in hospitalized children, according to the findings from two studies unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas. In a separate case report also presented today, fecal microbiota transplantation in a 20-month old with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) suggests the therapeutic potential fecal bacteriotherapy in pediatric patients who fail standard therapy for CDI.
Research unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas suggests a possible overlap of symptoms of two prevalent GI disorders: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and further suggests a possible link between subtle GI tract inflammation and IBS symptoms—a link that is also the focus of the first systemic review of the literature on this topic and an editorial both published in this month’s American Journal of Gastroenterology. One study presented today found that mesalamine granules, an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat ulcerative colitis, improved abdominal pain and stool consistency in diarrhea-predominant IBS. In the second study, researchers found that tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)—which are commonly used to treat IBS patients—may be effective in managing moderately-severe functional symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Ustekinumab, an antibody proven to treat the skin condition psoriasis, has now shown positive results in decreasing the debilitating effects of Crohn’s Disease, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine.
A simple new test, in which the patient swallows a string, can monitor treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis as effectively as an invasive, expensive and uncomfortable procedure that risks complications, particularly in children.
New research shows that a special population of stem cells found in cord blood has the innate ability to migrate to the intestine and contribute to the cell population there, suggesting the cells’ potential to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a protein essential to repairing the intestine’s inner lining.
An investigational drug currently under FDA review for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has now shown positive results in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine. The study will appear in the August 16, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Among patients with multiple colorectal polyps, the prevalence of certain gene mutations varied considerably by polyp count
Roughly 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease, but around 1.4 million of them are unaware that they have it, a Mayo Clinic-led analysis of the condition’s prevalence has found.
Under-performance of small bowel biopsy during endoscopy may explain the underdiagnosis of celiac disease in the United States, according to a new study published online in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Investigators at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center found that the rate of small bowel biopsy is low in this country.
Certain saturated fats that are common in the modern Western diet can initiate a chain of events leading to complex immune disorders in those with a genetic predisposition. This study provides the first plausible mechanism showing step-by-step how Western-style diets contribute to the rapid and ongoing increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease.
Trillions of microbes inhabit the human body, occupying virtually every nook and cranny. And most of the time, this relationship is a friendly one, with microbes helping to digest food, strengthen the immune system and ward off dangerous pathogens. Now, some 200 U.S. scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and elsewhere report findings from the most comprehensive census of the microbial make-up of healthy humans.
Cedars-Sinai researchers say their examination of the fungi in the intestines suggests an important link between these microbes and inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis. In the new study, published in the June 8 issue of Science, researchers at Cedars-Sinai’s Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute identified and characterized the large community of fungi inhabiting the large intestine in a model of the disease.
An overgrowth of bacteria in the gut has been definitively linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome in the results of a new Cedars-Sinai study which used cultures from the small intestine. This is the first study to use this “gold standard” method of connecting bacteria to the cause of the disease that affects an estimated 30 million people in the United States.
Measuring bone age should be a standard practice of care for pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease, in order to properly interpret growth status and improve treatment, according to a new study from the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.
The American College of Gastroenterology has created a special online resource center that features the College’s wealth of scientifically-based education material and information, the latest related research from The American Journal of Gastroenterology and expert insight to help patients understand common gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and how these symptoms should be appropriately treated and managed.
The common antibiotic, amoxicillin-clavulanate, may improve small bowel function in children experiencing motility disturbances, according to a study appearing in the June print edition of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition from Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The procedure was a success, but afterwards 24-year-old Jessica Calcagno experienced stomach pain that she says was so unbearable she went to the emergency room. For the first time, a clinical trial, led by gastroenterologists at the University of Michigan, shows an effective way for patients like Jessica to avoid post-ERCP pancreatitis, a common and painful complication of a procedure to diagnose digestive health problems.
Mayo Clinic in Florida will be one of the first health care institutions in the United States to offer a newly approved device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
A new study offers the first evidence of a drug capable of preventing lethal damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as those occurring during a nuclear incident. There are currently no FDA-approved treatments or prophylactics available to manage the condition, known as radiation gastrointestinal syndrome (RGS), which is associated with weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, systemic infection, and – in extreme cases – septic shock and death.
Add lower gastrointestinal (GI) problems such as ulcers, bleeding and perforations to the list of serious complications facing many rheumatoid arthritis patients. They are at greater risk for GI problems and gastrointestinal-related death than people without the disease, a Mayo Clinic study shows.
Cedars-Sinai researchers have determined that two prevalent drug therapies – rifaximin and lubiprostone – offer some of the best options for treating irritable bowel syndrome, a widespread disorder that affects up to one in five Americans. The findings, based on an analysis of more than two dozen large-scale clinical trials, are contained in a peer-reviewed study published online by The American Journal of Medicine and set to appear in the publication’s April print edition.
With every meal, immune cells in the intestine stand like sentries at a citadel, turning away harmful bacteria but allowing vitamins and nutrients to pass. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the cells that chaperone food antigens, or proteins, in the intestine so that the immune system doesn’t mount an attack. Their discovery provides scientists with a potential target for therapies against inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease and food allergies.
In the largest study of its kind, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered five new genetic mutations associated with Crohn’s disease in Jews of Eastern European descent, also known as Ashkenazi Jews.
Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have difficulty functioning in school, particularly because their tendency to internalize problems can impact attendance. These are the findings from a Nationwide Children’s Hospital study appearing in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.
When chronic heartburn or acid reflux damages the lining of the esophagus it can create a condition called Barrett's esophagus, which may be precancerous. A minimally invasive outpatient procedure eradicates dysplasia to restore a healthy cell lining.
For more than 40 years, scientists and physicians have thought eating a high-fiber diet lowered a person’s risk of diverticulosis, a disease of the large intestine in which pouches develop in the colon wall. A new study of more than 2,000 people reveals the opposite may be true.
A new combination of investigational drugs successfully suppressed hepatitis C genotype 1 infection in a high percent of patients who had not responded to previous treatment in a study led by a University of Michigan hepatologist.
NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have discovered the novel protective role dendritic cells play in the pancreas. The new study, published in the November issue of journal Gastroenterology, shows dendritic cells can safeguard the pancreas against acute pancreatitis, a sudden dangerous swelling and inflammation of the pancreas gland.
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that taking a probiotic before radiation therapy can protect the intestine from damage — at least in mice. Their study suggests that taking a probiotic also may help cancer patients avoid intestinal injury, a common problem in those receiving radiation therapy for abdominal cancers.
As a researcher in neurogastroenterology for 40 years, professor Khalil Bitar has spent his professional life studying the causes of perplexing and what frequently become embarrassing problems for humans—issues such as constipation, diarrhea and colon disease.
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