Gastroenterology

It is widely known that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective for the treatment of recurring Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection, but new research supports the procedure’s efficacy for helping patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Biomarkers are able to predict inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) development and complications, according to findings published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

As obesity becomes a growing problem, doctors are turning to weight loss surgeries to help their patients return to a healthy quality of life. Work is being done to make these procedures as non-invasive as possible to help with the recovery and postoperative times.

Treatment with fixed-dos combination sofosbuvir/velpatasvir yielded significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes.

Filgotinib is the first oral, JAK1-selective inhibitor showing efficacy in moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease patients.

Risankizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively inhibits IL-23 through specific targeting of the IL-23 p19 subunit.

A study that explored the healthcare burden of chronic infection of the hepatitis C virus found that patients with the disease were more than 3 times likely to be hospitalized than patients in a comparison group.

Mothers’ inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapies may impact their newborns, according to findings published in Gastroenterology.

Patients can control and reduce their risk for contracting colon cancer and colitis by maintaining a balance of two major isoforms, according to findings published in the journal eLife.

As medications for hepatitis C become more widely used, studies are being done to see how effective these treatments are when used in combination.

The overwhelming experience of preparing for colonoscopies may no longer have to be tolerated on an empty stomach.

The development of new medications for any condition requires attention to detail in a number of areas, especially safety and efficacy. A recent drug developed for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) looked to be effective in both areas prior to its approval.

Researchers reported that SVR12 rates in real-world, post-transplant genotype 1 HCV patients treated with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir, with or without ribavirin, is 98% across regimens and various characteristics.

Researchers report promising results from the QUARTZ-I study that assessed the efficacy of the 3D regimen combined with sofosbuvir in treatment-experienced patients with HCV genotype 1 infection.

Results from the ION-3 trial showed that the rapidity and durability of viral suppression achieved with ledipasvir-sofosbuvir therapy allows a shorter treatment course of 8 weeks in genotype 1, treatment-naïve, non-cirrhotic patients.

As more women take leadership roles in gastroenterology and , it can go a long way in helping to bridge the gender gap in that other specialties in medicine.

As with many areas of medicine, the ratio of male doctors in gastroenterology to female counterparts is considerable – although work is being done to lessen that gap across the field.

The new Rome IV criteria classify the functional bowel disorders into five distinct categories, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional constipation, functional diarrhea, functional abdominal bloating/distention, and unspecified functional bowel disorder. A new category for opioid-induced constipation, which is distinct from the functional bowel disorders, has been added.

Rome IV updates include more specific definitions and diagnostic criteria for functional gastroduodenal disorders such as functional dyspepsia, belching disorders, and nausea and vomiting disorders.

The Rome Foundation announced the release of updated and revised Rome IV diagnostic criteria for more than 20 different gastrointestinal disorders at DDW 2016.

Using data from four previously published studies and using mathematical models to extrapolate data to the current year, researchers at Johns Hopkins contended that medical errors were now the third leading cause of death in the US today.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a common procedure in adult patients but a recent study looked at whether the procedure was safe for younger patients and whether it provided the same level of efficacy.

Golimumab injections continue to prove effective and safe for patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to a recent study.

A recent study looked to shed light on the long-researched belief that caffeine decreases the risk of advanced hepatic fibrosis in people with hepatitis C.

Not only is chronic liver disease the 12th leading cause of death in the United States, but it hurts a patient’s wallet and quality of life.

The connection between morbid obesity and death from acute pancreatitis has been studied, however, most obese patient do not fall in the “morbid†category. So researchers decided to analyze that very topic.

Treatment isn’t enough to keep ulcerative colitis relapses at bay; dietary factors play in an important role in flares as well. New research identifies foods that patients should stay away from.

Positive test results from the initial step of colorectal screening may need a quicker follow-up colonoscopy than many people are getting.

Could a special type of intestinal cell be at the root of inflammatory bowel disease? Researchers from Rutgers University Newark (RU N) believed so, and wanted to determine how to alter the cells’ behavior to eliminate the disease.

Using fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) has sent ulcerative colitis (UC) patients into remission, reported a presentation given at the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization (ECCO) Congress.