Ulcerative Colitis

A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 56 children with Crohn's disease suggests pediatric patients treated with thalidomide have better rates of remission and response than those given placebo.

Primary prevention measures for upper GI bleeding should include NSAIDs, antiplatelet therapy, and anticoagulants appropriately, while secondary preventive measures should include testing and treating H. pylori and using long-term PPIs when appropriate.

Noting that it takes an average of 5 years before a fibromyalgia patient receives a diagnosis, researchers conducted a retrospective data analysis to identify significant variables that may enable earlier detection and diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Steven P. Levine, MD, says the implications of altering the microbiome may extend beyond C. difficile to mental health, given the new insight into the connection between the gut and mind.

The increasing incidence of C. difficile infection in hospitals and other settings, coupled with the emergence of new high-virulence strains, requires physicians to understand the risk factors associated with this condition and be prepared to effectively diagnose and manage it.

In a study published in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, a professor in the Department of Digestive System at Xingtai People's Hospital in China, investigated the correlation between psychological status and the mechanism of action of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).

In a clinical review published in Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology, researchers from Iwate Medical University in Japan evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of the novel serotonin-receptor agonist ramosetron in patients suffering from diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).

A group of researchers has identified two polymorphic sites on mitochondrial ATP (MT-ATP) genes that may play a significant role in the functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder.

Results from a 12-week study show patients treated with eluxadoline report decreased abdominal pain and improved bowel movement frequency and urgency.

College students with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms experience higher levels of mental strain and chronic stress than their peers without IBS symptoms.

Recognizing frustrations stemming from "the contested nature of the diagnosis, ineffective treatments, and a mismatch between general practitioner (GP) and patient explanatory models" for irritable bowel syndrome, a team of British researchers examined the tensions between how physicians approach IBS and what's currently recommended for diagnosing and managing the functional gastrointestinal disorder.

Studies show that treatment with multispecies probiotics stabilizes the gut microflora and relieves symptoms such as abdominal distension and pain in patients with IBS.

Researchers at the Hanyang University College of Medicine set the record straight on the association between IBS symptoms and methane and hydrogen gas produced by intestinal fermentation of lactulose and excreted in the breath during lactulose breath test.

Study shows gluten alters bowel functions in patients with IBS-D and that removal of gluten from the diet may reduce the frequency of bowel movements.

Recognizing that melatonin secretion from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract improves abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but decreases with age, Polish researchers from the Medical University of Lodz aimed to define the effect of administering melatonin in postmenopausal women with different predominating IBS symptoms.

The chronic constipation associated with conditions such as IBS can lead to serious health complications if left untreated.

A high-potency probiotic supplement that mimics the effect of morphine in the gut may reduce the development of visceral pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued draft guidance advising physicians to use a fecal calprotectin test to help distinguish between IBS and more serious bowel disorders.

As irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains a complicated condition to treat with an etiology that's still unknown, it's difficult for physicians to find the best proven therapies among new remedies and the variety of pharmacological and nondrug options they have been trying for years.

While it's already clinically understood that most patients with Crohn's disease suffer a recurrence following an intestinal resection, researchers have not evaluated the best strategy to prevent the disease from recurring.

Patients taking linaclotide experience clinically meaningful improvement in abdominal and bowel symptoms, which closely correlate with the US Food and Drug Administration's new criteria for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

While it's important for nutrition and an integral part of patients' lives, food also plays a role in functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Presenters at Digestive Disease Week 2013, held May 18-21, 2013, in Orlando, Fla., differed on the risks of surgical complications from the use of biologic agents.

Inpatient management of patients with increasingly virulent community acquired and nosocomial infections, ranging from bacteremia to C. difficile colitis, presents hospitalists with challenging choices.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today expanded approval of Simponi (golimumab) to treat moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects some 620,000 Americans.

Researchers using fMRI to study neural activity in IBS patients report that the processing and perception of visceral stimuli can be modulated by psychological and cognitive treatment.

Patients who have IBD, even those who are in clinical remission, often exhibit symptoms consistent with IBS, which can complicate the assessment and management of IBD and lead to unnecessary interventions.

Researchers claim that restricting dietary intake of fermentable short-chain carbohydrates improves GI symptoms in patients with IBS.

The stigma attached to chronic diseases such as IBS has been shown to negatively affect patients' self-image and sense of worth, leading to worse outcomes. Being aware of this and working to counteract the psychological effects of stigma can improve the patient-physician relationship and lead to better outcomes.

Researchers will use MRI to identify structural brain changes that correlate with symptom relief in patients with IBS.