Gastroenterology

A Swedish pharmaceutical company has been granted approval by the European Commission to market the drug simeprevir for the treatment of genotype 1 and 4 chronic hepatitis C infection.

Since nearly one-quarter of Medicare beneficiaries have limited life expectancies at the time of their colonoscopies, life expectancy should be incorporated into decision-making for preventive services.

Although many studies have found Crohn's disease (CD) patients are more likely to smoke than the general population, only a few have examined CD prevalence as it relates to regional smoking rates.

Bariatric surgery represents a potentially useful intervention for managing obese type 2 diabetics who would fail to reach treatment goals with intensive medical therapy alone.

Since inactivity accounts for 10-16% of breast cancers, colon cancers, and diabetes cases, as well as 22% of heart disease, some researchers believe too much sitting can cause just as much harm as smoking.

A project to expand hepatitis C treatment by equipping primary care doctors with telemedicine tools more than doubled the proportion of patients expected to receive treatment in Arizona and Utah, according to a recently released government report.

Could early mobilization and feeding after colorectal surgery reduce hospital stays and readmission rates? A team of researchers from Duke University Hospital believes so.

With no standards in place to guide referrals for children with gastroesophageal reflux disease, variation in procedural decision-making among pediatric subspecialists is expected.

While regular exercise is obviously a very positive lifestyle choice, jumping back into a rigorous routine too quickly after a tummy tuck can make recovery more difficult.

A cholecystectomy is generally an uncomplicated procedure, but on the rare occasions when gallstones migrate to adjacent viscera or vascular structures, it becomes a considerably more complicated operation.

Incorporating aspects of the small particle diet into the recommendations for diabetic gastroparesis might be beneficial to patients.

Results from the PEARL-II study show treatment-experienced patients with hepatitis C genotype 1b achieved SVR rates of greater than 96% when treated with a combination of ABT 450 with ritonavir, co-formulated with ombitasvir and dasabuvir, without the need for ribavirin.

Patients with celiac disease treated with larazotide acetate experienced improvements in GI symptoms and non-GI symptoms such as headache and fatigue, as well as significant reductions in the number of symptomatic days.

Patients with IBS-D in two phase II trials of eluxadoline experienced sustained improvements in abdominal pain and bowel symptoms at 26 weeks of treatment, with mild side effects.

Fecal microbiota transplants appear safe and patients tolerate them well in trials, but the evidence isn't there yet to establish overall benefit for treating ulcerative colitis.

An all-oral, ribavirin-free, interferon-free combination of three direct-acting antiviral agents that had achieved sustained virologic response in 92% of patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection has demonstrated even greater response in patients with genotype 4 infection.

Treatment with an 8-week regimen of combination sofosbuvir plus ledipasvir with or without ribavirin produced sustained virologic response rates (SVR) similar to those achieved with a 12-week regimen in non-cirrhotic, previously untreated, genotype 1 hepatitis C patients, according to results from the ION-3 trial.

Patients in the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment Against Cirrhosis trial who were also treated with statins experienced a significant decrease in time to histological disease progression compared to patients who did not receive statin treatment.

Within the next two years, treatments for hepatitis C with 95% cure rates that are all-oral, interferon-free, and effective within 12 weeks or less with negligible side effects will be readily available.

Phase 2 study results show patients with ulcerative colitis treated with an investigational oral compound achieved higher rates of remission, reduced rectal bleeding, and increased mucosal healing compared to patients who received placebo.

Patients who are hospitalized for pain related to acute pancreatitis pose unique challenges for achieving adequate analgesia, which is particularly true for those admitted with preexisting chronic pain and prior opioid use.

Though constipation as a side effect of opioid therapy is generally considered a tolerability issue that can be treated with over-the-counter laxatives, opioid-induced constipation may still lead to serious gastrointestinal complications.

A multipronged approach built around screening, education, community outreach, and expanded access to care is critical to reducing the prevalence of hepatitis C in the African-American community.

Children with irritable bowel syndrome are 4 times more likely to have co-occurring celiac disease, according to research published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Although they are revolutionary for the treatment of various gastric acid-related disorders, proton pump inhibitors may be linked to interstitial nephritis, according to research published in Kidney International.

Although ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm is rare and usually asymptomatic, it is a rapidly life-threatening condition with outcomes that differ greatly by country.

Company is seeking FDA approval for its all-oral, interferon-free regimen for the treatment of adult patients with chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C.

Although there are 2 types of abdominal wall reconstruction procedures, both use the same approach to repair the damage from a hernia.

More than 13,000 physicians and cardiovascular team members attended the ACC 2014 meeting in Washington, DC, to focus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

New guidance from the WHO includes nine key recommendations covering screening, treatment, alcohol use assessment and counseling, and measures to prevent transmission of the virus.