Bowel Problems
New intestinal bacteria linked to Crohn’s disease
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An increase in the intestinal levels of a new type of infectious Escherichia coli bacteria, along with a depletion of Clostridium bacteria, appears to be involved in the development of Crohn’s disease, according to a report in The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology.
Dr. Kenneth W. Simpson, from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and colleagues used DNA analysis to compare the intestinal microbial flora in patients with Crohn’s disease and in healthy subjects.
Diets high in choline may increase risk for colorectal polyps
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Contrary to expectations, diets high in the nutrient choline were associated with an increased risk of some colorectal polyps, which can—but do not always—lead to colorectal cancer, according to a study published online in the August 7 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Major food sources of choline include red meat, eggs, poultry, and dairy products. Choline is involved in a biochemical process known as one-carbon metabolism. Studies have shown that people with increased intake of other nutrients required for one-carbon metabolism, such as folate, are at a decreased risk for colorectal polyps. This is the first study to examine the association between choline and colorectal polyps.
Gallstone Disease: Are You at Risk? Tips on Gallstone Disease
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Gallstones are one of the most common gastrointestinal (GI) problems, especially for women. Women between the ages of 20 and 60 years are three times more likely to develop gallstones than men. Gallstones are solid clumps of cholesterol or pigment material that form in the gallbladder, and can range in size from a single grain of sand up to the size of a ping-pong ball.
New Therapy is Effective for Patients with Crohnэs Disease
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Mayo Clinic researchers have found that certolizumab pegol is an effective treatment for adults with Crohn’s disease, according to two new studies. These findings were published in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Certolizumab pegol blocks tumor necrosis factor, an important cause of inflammation in Crohn’s disease.
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects an estimated 500,000 people in the United States. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, weight loss and diarrhea. Crohn’s disease has no known medical cure. Currently approved therapies that also block tumor necrosis factor include intravenous infusions of infliximab or subcutaneous injections of adalimumab.
Doctors, engineers develop new wireless system to detect esophageal reflux
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UT Southwestern Medical Center doctors and UT Arlington engineers have developed a wireless monitoring system that uses electrical impulses to track esophageal reflux.
The wireless technology, called radio frequency identification (RFID), has been used in thousands of stores for tracking inventory and in identification chips implanted in some pets. Researchers combined that technology with another emerging applied science called impedance monitoring, which tracks reflux through electrical impulses.
Popcorn back on the menu for diverticular disease; new treatments for ulcerative colitis, perianal f
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Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, is an umbrella term referring to a group of disorders that cause inflammation of the intestines, including ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease and perianal fistula. Nearly one million Americans experience some form of IBD every year, which is often chronic or recurring. Research presented today at Digestive Disease Week® 2007 (DDW®) looks at preventative measures and potential treatment options for these painful and debilitating conditions. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
Can Patients with Diverticular Disease Eat Nuts, Corn and Popcorn
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Diverticulosis is a common disease of the large intestine characterized by pouches in the colon that bulge outward through weak spots in the colon musculature. These pouches can become inflamed, a complication referred to as diverticulitis, or they can bleed, often profusely. Patients with diverticulosis, particularly those who have complications, are frequently advised to avoid nuts and seeds; however, there is little evidence to support this recommendation. The aim of this study, conducted by researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School, was to prospectively evaluate whether nut, corn and popcorn consumption were associated with complications of diverticular disease.
From the Health Professionals Follow-up Study cohort, investigators selected 47,228 U.S. men aged 40-75 years at baseline (in 1986) and free of diverticular disease, gastrointestinal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. Men reporting newly diagnosed diverticulosis or diverticular complications on biennial follow-up questionnaires were sent supplemental questionnaires outlining details of diagnosis and treatment. Recent consumption of nuts, corn and popcorn was determined from a validated 131-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire mailed to the participants every four years. Study endpoints included diverticular bleeding and diverticulitis.
Crohn’s disease has strong genetic link
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Scientists have identified a handful of genes that increase the risk of developing Crohn’s disease, confirming that the often debilitating inflammatory bowel disease has a strong genetic component.
U.S. and Canadian researchers scanned the entire genome—all 22,000 genes—of about 6,000 people. Approximately half had Crohn’s disease and half did not, they reported in the medical journal Nature Genetics.
Risk of Acute Pancreatitis Low with Statins
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New research reveals that while cholesterol-lowering drugs do increase the risk of painful inflammation of the pancreas, the side effect is relatively rare, according to Sonal Singh, M.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and colleagues.
“Acute pancreatitis is a fairly common condition and cholesterol-lowering drugs have been implicated in some cases,” said Singh. “Since millions of people around the world take these drugs, our aim was to quantify the risk.”
More than a million suffer chronic fatigue
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Chronic fatigue syndrome, once thought by some doctors to be a psychological problem or even an excuse for malingerers, is a real disease that affects more than a million Americans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.
Early diagnosis and treatment of the disease are important for recovery—even though it is not clear what the best treatments are, CDC officials told a news conference.
“CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) is a terrible illness that prevents many people from taking part in everyday activities and participating in the things they enjoy,” CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said.
Experimental drug might help treat bowel cancer
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An experimental drug that is effective in reducing the size and number of pre-cancerous growths in mice could help treat or prevent bowel cancer in humans, scientists said on Friday.
Most cases of the cancer develop from polyps, extra tissue that grows on the wall of the bowel. Not all polyps are dangerous but about 5 to 10 percent develop into cancer.
Scientists at the British charity Cancer Research UK found that AZD2171, an experimental drug made by AstraZeneca, stopped polyps in mice from progressing to cancer by blocking their blood supply.
New Study Links Bad Breath to Heartburn, GERD
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A common prescription medicine class used to treat chronic heartburn and acid reflux disease (GERD) was linked to halitosis, or bad breath, in a study presented at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.
Doctors at UNIFESP in Sao Paulo, Brazil, examined 23 adult patients with GERD (mean age 54 years) and 17 adult patients with dyspepsia (mean age 56 years) in May 2006 to ascertain the relationship between halitosis and GERD. The results showed that 39 percent of the GERD patients suffered from halitosis and that treatment with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was deemed a factor in at least 75 percent of the cases. Dyspepsia did not seem to be a leading cause of halitosis, with just 18 percent of the dyspepsia patients suffering from bad breath. No gender differences were observed in the GERD group.
‘Burning mouth’ syndrome hard to treat
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It’s a burning sensation that gradually spreads across the tongue through the course of the day, and it has a medical name: glossopyrosis, or more commonly, burning mouth syndrome. The condition can be frustrating to treat, but usually some relief can be found, according to the latest issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
Most often, it seems, multiple factors play a role in producing the symptoms. Disease, medications or nutritional deficiencies can all be involved, but often no single cause can be pinpointed,
The condition is most common in people over 60, and occurs more frequently in women than in men. It can last for weeks or even years. Pain, tingling or numbness may be felt in the throat, lips, gums or palate as well as the tongue, and sensations can involve a metallic taste in the mouth.
Combo therapy may help celiac disease patients
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Early tests suggest that therapy with a combination of two enzymes inactivates gluten in the gut and may someday benefit patients with celiac disease.
In two papers appearing in the journal Chemistry and Biology, Dr. Chaitan Khosla and colleagues, from Stanford University in California, describe the creation of this oral enzyme therapy, which they believe could alleviate many of the symptoms and complications of celiac sprue.
First, the researchers explain that they genetically engineered EP-B2, an enzyme found in barley seeds. They then created a compound in which EP-B2 was attached to Escherichia coli, a bacterium normally present in the gut that is frequently used to transport the active agent in gene therapies. Further testing of the EP-B2/E. coli compound showed that it efficiently inactivated a wheat gluten protein at regions toxic to celiac disease patients.
Cognitive behavioral therapy effective in treating irritable bowel syndrome
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According to the latest research behavioral therapy was more effective in treating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than being on a waiting list for treatment.
It seems that all it took for more than a 70 percent improvement rate to be seen was four sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy.
For the research Dr. Jeffrey M. Lackner, of the State University of New York at Buffalo, and colleagues randomly assigned 59 patients with irritable bowel syndrome to one of three treatments; patients in one group received 10 sessions of standard cognitive behavioral therapy, while another received 4 sessions of minimal contact cognitive therapy but with minimal contact, and a self-help workbook to take home.
