Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Relaxation responses physiologic states of deep rest induced by practices such as meditation, yoga, and prayer were reported to positively trigger symptom improvement and gene expression changes within patients afflicted with gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.

Americans' low-fiber diets that tend to be rich in red meats put them at risk for diverticulosis, and by age 60, roughly half of Americans have or have had diverticulosis. It's not clear how many patients with diverticulosis go on to develop diverticulitis, but once diverticulitis develops, 10-25% of patients need surgery, often urgently.

When NYU Langone Medical Center gastroenterologist Lee Ann Chen, MD needs frozen stool pills, she puts in an order with OpenBiome, a two-year-old Massachusetts non-profit whose sole mission is to provide them.

In Part 2 Lea Ann Chen, MD, discusses some potential issues associated with Fecal Matter Transplantation.

In part one of our interview with Lea Ann Chen, MD, from NYU Langone Medical Center she discusses the practical aspects of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation.

From inflammatory bowel disease to Crohn's disease and everywhere in the gastrointestinal system in between 2014 was a big year for medical breakthroughs and potential future treatments. Here is a look at the top 10 stories.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) suffer not only the pain and discomfort of frequent loose stools, but fear of incontinence. For many patients, that results in panic and anxiety.

Modifying diet is one way to try to help patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In a study reported in Gastroenterology, an Australian research team looked at the effects of lowering fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) vs. consuming a typical Australian diet.

Serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin/protein isolate appears to be a safe and effective nutritional moiety in patients with refractory IBS-D or IBS-M.

Study results show that eluxadoline may be useful in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) who do not achieve symptom relief with loperamide.

Study results show significant regional variations in the types of procedures and tests administered and the number of prescriptions written for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as in the number of emergency department visits and hospital admissions.

Inflammatory bowel diseases have an impact on the prognosis of multiple sclerosis, according to a study published in PLOS One.

Scientists in Germany have discovered a causal relationship between psychological factors and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) after viewing high rates of anxiety and depression among IBS patients.

A research team with members at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has discovered genetic factors involved in a severe form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), pediatric ulcerative colitis.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome experience less effective pain treatments, according to research from the University of Adelaide in Australia.

Researchers at the University of Leicester have developed a highly sensitive "electronic-nose" to identify the infectious bacteria Clostridium difficile that causes diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever in patients.

Immune cells responsible for intestinal movement may be the key to an effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.

Although small-bowel capsule endoscopy is often used to evaluate unexplained abdominal pain, a new analysis has found the procedure's diagnostic yield is limited.

In Europe and the United States, more than 3 million people suffer from either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and while they are becoming more common diagnoses, the root causes and triggers are not completely clear to researchers.

Prebiotics and probiotics have been discussed frequently in the media for supposedly improving overall health, especially diseases related to the gut. However, the evidence on the efficacy and use of these dietary supplements is rather complicated.

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.

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.

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

IBS symptoms play a minor role, according to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, which asked patients to rate their overall health.

Genetics, diet, past trauma, and anxiety have all been thought to play a role in the cause of irritable bowel syndrome, but new research has found a clue to the disease.

Fear avoidance contributes to disability and pain in children with functional abdominal pain but not inflammatory bowel disease, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society.

In a meta-analysis of 6 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies, researchers concluded that acupuncture is effective in controlling the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Clinicians should be familiar with all current testing options and assessment tools and be prepared to offer support and guidance to patients who may be embarrassed or unwilling to discuss this aspect of their health.

With renewed attention on maximizing return on every dollar spent on health care, gastroenterologists need to take a thoughtful approach that takes cost and the overall patient experience into account when they make testing and treatment decisions with patients who have inflammatory bowel disease.

Polyethylene glycol in conjunction with fiber supplementation is an effective treatment for occasional constipation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.