Gastroenterology

It is well-known that patients with hepatitis C face a higher risk of liver complications; however, a new study discovered that the heart could also be in trouble.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common chronic liver disease reported in the United States. Some researchers have hypothesized that TNF-α, as a mediator of inflammation, might be a therapeutic target for NAFLD since inflammation seems to be a component of its etiology.

Treating ulcers in spinal cord injury patients is still a challenge, but researchers have developed a computational model to aid the process.

When patients need pancreatic surgery, surgeons worry about postoperative infections with good reason. Even with strict adherence to infection control technique, ideal surgical procedures, perfect perioperative care, and aggressive antibiotic prophylaxis, morbidity and mortality from infection remains high.

Hepatitis C medication development pipeline still strong, with several additional drugs poised for approval.

Although baby boomers make up 75% of Americans living with chronic hepatitis C (HCV), the majority are unaware that they are infected.

Not only are bacteria becoming more resistant to medication, but they are also passing on that resistance to other cells more efficiently, Rice University researchers found.

A new trial of vitamin D replacement regimens in young people with cystic fibrosis and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency finds twice-weekly doses of vitamin D2 50,000 IU to be as effective as weekly doses of vitamin D3 50,000 IU.

With funding meant to bolster basic research and help make advances for a variety of conditions the fate of the 21st Century Cure Act is anything but secure even after passage by the US House of Representatives.

Individuals afflicted with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), are twice as prone to developing generalized anxiety disorder compared to those without IBD.

For patients unable to have regular bowel movements the search for effective treatment can be uncomfortable with limited options. A potential new treatment is being tested where a vibrating capsule could help these patients with regular bodily functions.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted approval for the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System (ReShape Dual Balloon) to treat obese adults without the need for invasive surgery.

The majority of hospitals included in a recent analysis use reusable sharp containers, a practice that is linked to higher incidence of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection.

The latest research has confirmed bariatric surgery or lifestyle modifications could significantly diminish levels of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in obese patients.

A new investigation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that produce diabetes may explain the strong association between cystic fibrosis and pancreatic complications.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Technivie (ombitasvir, paritaprevir and ritonavir) for use in combination with ribavirin for the treatment of hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infections in patients without scarring and cirrhosis.

As telemedicine continues to receive favorable reviews from healthcare professionals and patients, SonarMD, LLC recently released its SonarMD platform for securely engaging, monitoring, and managing patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

Scientists have, for the first time, transplanted lab-grown stem cells, successfully restoring a brutally damaged liver's organ function.

A novel hepatitis C treatment that combines sofosbuvir with another drug not yet approved in the US had a 97% success rate in a group of patients who were coinfected with HIV, according to researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

New research into vitamin K deficiency among cystic fibrosis patients may help explain why exocrine pancreatic insufficiency increases the risk of pathological shortages.

As hepatitis C becomes a curable condition and fatty liver disease becomes a growing problem hepatologists are being forced to shift their focus to help a new patient population without some of the tools they have become used to having at their disposal.

New antivirals that can cure hepatitis C infection have changed more than patients' prognoses. MD Magazine interviewed a liver transplant specialist, a transplant recipient, a patient cured by the new antivirals, and their physicians.

Like many urban centers in the Northeastern US, Philadelphia has a chronic shortage of donor livers. But the advent of new antivirals that eradicate hepatitis C infection is starting to change that picture. In a visit to Hahnemann University Hospital, MD Magazine spoke to specialists and patients who are seeing what a difference those drugs can make. Video interviews follow the article.

One of the biggest challenges in the fight against HIV and viral hepatitis has been the lack of knowledge some countries have about the spread of the diseases and ways to monitor the problem before it gets out of hand. The World Health Organization has been working to combat this issue in Europe and other parts of the world.

As hepatitis C becomes a more treatable disease the World Health Organization is increasing its efforts to treat people who are also infected with HIV as well as hepatitis C.

Intestinal and multivisceral transplantation-and any organ transplant actually-increases risk for infection since immunosuppressants are critical post-surgery. Fungal infections ranging from mild skin rashes to deadly fungal pneumonia can be a problem, and may lead to increased morbidity and mortality in these patients.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the 2016 Medicare Fee Schedule (MPFS), which called for significant reductions in reimbursement rates for colonoscopies and other lower gastrointestinal (GI) procedures.

New research may help explain the connection between exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, gastric bypass surgery, and oxalate nephropathy in humans.

Gilead Sciences recently announced that Japanese regulators have approved its single-tablet combination drug Harvoni (ledipasvir 90 mg/sofosbuvir 400 mg) for the treatment of hepatitis C infection genotype 1 in adults.

As the summer grilling season swings into high gear, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning regarding the health risks from accidentally ingesting wire bristles from the brushes commonly used to clean BBQ grills.