Digestive Disease Week

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases are sometimes treated with immunosuppressive drugs, particularly if they have a significant co-morbidity. A Boston team of researchers found that when that co-morbidity is diabetes, patients are at greater risk of coming down with infections.

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.

Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) was shown to be more effective than taking the maximal proton pump inhibitor (PPI) dose in relieving heartburn, regurgitation, and other troublesome symptoms in patients with refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

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).

Growing evidence suggests increased cardiovascular risk in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - in particular nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASN) - but no data exists to support a specific management approach.

Esophageal pH monitoring is more cost effective than the long-term use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), since it can help rule out gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD) and avoid the unneeded costs associated with prolonged medication therapy.

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).

Andrew J. Muir, MD, MHS, said having more antiviral hepatitis C drugs in the pipeline could spur more people to accept treatment and improve patient outcomes.

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.

News and updates about the upcoming DDW 2013 conference.

Intestinal decontamination with rifaximin prevents spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and improves transplant-free survival in cirrhotic patients with ascites.

Cardiovascular risks associated with discontinuing clopidogrel before elective colonoscopy exceed the risks of post-polypectomy bleeding.

GLP-2 analog teduglutide reduces the need for parenteral support in patients with short bowel syndrome-intestinal failure.

Results from the REALIZE study show that combination treatment with telaprevir is superior to standard treatment for patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

High-intensity athletes report more functional gastrointestinal disorders than athletes who engage in lower-intensity sports.

Age is less important than BMI, cardiovascular health, diabetes, and other considerations when evaluating elderly patients for bariatric surgery.

Combination treatment with boceprevir produces a significant reduction in incidence of serious liver complications in patients with hepatitis C.

High consumption carbohydrates, starch, and fructose may increase the risk of developing biliary sludge and stones during pregnancy.

Low vaccination rates among patients with CLD and diabetes have grave public health implications.

Trial indicates that the relationship between body mass index and colonic adenomas is linear, suggesting that obesity can be a risk factor for colonic polyps.