Bowel Problems
Guidebook useful for irritable bowel patients
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Patients with irritable bowel syndrome can use a self-help guidebook to reduce the number of office visits, improve symptoms and lower health care costs, a new report suggests.
The findings suggest that primary care physicians should offer patients with functional abdominal symptoms information on what they can do to manage their condition, lead author Dr. Andrew Robinson, from Hope Hospital in Manchester, UK, and colleagues report.
The researchers assessed the outcomes of 420 patients, treated at 54 primary care centers, who were randomly assigned to receive a self-help guidebook, a guidebook plus a self-help meeting, or no extra care (control group).
Treatment reduces gastric ulcers in at-risk patients using long-term NSAIDS
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Results from two clinical trials, to be published in the April 2006 edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, indicate that esomeprazole magnesium can reduce the incidence of gastric (stomach) ulcers in patients at risk of developing gastric ulcers and who regularly take either non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or COX-2-selective NSAIDs.
NSAIDs are a class of pain relief medications that include traditional, non-selective drugs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin, and newer COX-2-selective agents. Nonselective NSAIDs are known for increasing the risk of gastric ulcers, particularly among older patients who take them regularly or who have a history of gastric ulcers.
Pooled data from the double-blind, randomized, six-month trials showed that significantly fewer patients taking either NEXIUM 20 mg or NEXIUM 40 mg, in addition to their regular non-selective NSAID/selective-COX-2 therapy, developed an ulcer at six months, compared to those taking a placebo (5.2 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, vs. 17 percent, p<0.001). These differences were seen as early as the first month of treatment and maintained throughout the study duration.
Rifaximin effective in treating flatulence and irritable bowel syndrome
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In the first study of its kind, researchers discovered that rifaximin, an antibiotic used to treat diarrhea, is an effective treatment for abdominal bloating and flatulence, including in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients.
This research is published in the February issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Nucleotide supplements may protect digestive tract
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Nucleotides, available over the counter as “health food” supplements, are biologically active and reduce gastric injury, according to a report in the medical journal Gut.
These compounds “could provide a novel inexpensive approach for the prevention and treatment of the injurious effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other ulcerative conditions of the bowel,” investigators from Imperial College and Hammersmith Hospital, London, conclude. The NSAID painkillers they refer to can often lead to stomach inflammation or ulcers.
Ginger prevents postop nausea and vomiting
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Medical data suggest that at a dose of at least 1 gram of ginger is effective in preventing the nausea and vomiting that often afflicts patients after undergoing surgery.
Numerous studies have looked at a variety of agents for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting, yet none have been accepted as a gold standard for this use, according to the report in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Data establishes safety profile of new GlaxoSmithKline rotavirus vaccine candidate
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Data from one of the largest infant vaccine trials ever conducted, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), showed GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) rotavirus vaccine candidate as effective against rotavirus disease (rotavirus gastroenteritis) in the first year of life. Rotavirus is the leading recognized cause of diarrhea-related illness and death among infants and young children.
Every year, rotavirus is associated with an estimated 25 million clinic visits, two million hospitalizations and more than 600,000 deaths worldwide among children younger than five years of age. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the annual rotavirus disease burden among children younger than 5 years of age as 2.7 million illnesses, resulting in 410,000 clinic visits, up to 70,000 hospitalizations and 20 to 70 deaths. The vaccine is not approved for use in the United States, however, it has been introduced as the first vaccine available to control this highly infectious disease in several markets across the world.
Liver cirrhosis in Britain worst in Europe
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Britain has had the steepest increase in death rates from liver cirrhosis in western Europe since the 1950s, according to a study in this week’s issue of The Lancet.
Rates of mortality due to liver cirrhosis can indicate the extent of alcohol harm occurring in a population. David Leon (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK) and Jim McCambridge (King’s College London, UK) calculated the mortality rates for liver cirrhosis using data from the World Health Organization Mortality Database. They calculated rates for all ages and specific age groups in Scotland, England and Wales and compared these to rates in 12 other western European countries - Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark.
Later bedtime after meal may ease heartburn
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If you suffer from acid reflux disease, you may be going to bed too soon after your evening meal.
A shorter dinner-to-bed interval is significantly associated with an increased risk of gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD, according to researchers in Japan.
Milk thistle ineffective for liver disease
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Milk thistle, an herbal remedy used worldwide for liver disease, does not appear to be effective, and there is not enough evidence to conclude that it is safe, an international team of researchers has concluded.
“We can’t see beneficial effects, we can’t exclude harmful effects, and in order to know more we need to do more randomized trials to find out do they actually help,” said Dr. Christian Gluud of Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, the study’s lead author.
The market for milk thistle is enormous, Gluud noted, given that as many as 1 billion people around the world have liver disease due to alcoholism or hepatitis B or C. It could even be larger, he added, because some people may decide to take milk thistle for prevention.
Anxiety may lead to stomach upsets
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Anxiety induced under experimental conditions alters gastric function and nerve sensations, Belgian and UK researchers report, and this may give rise to some gastric disorders.
“Our data suggest that anxiety status should be taken into account when dealing with patients with long-standing stomach symptoms without readily identifiable organic cause,” Dr. Jan Tack told Reuters Health.
Colonoscopy with Normal Results Doesn’t Reassure IBS Patients
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FINDINGS: A UCLA/VA study found that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients under age 50 who undergo a colonoscopy with normal results aren’t reassured about their condition or seem to have an improved quality life due to the procedure ruling out a more serious condition.
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that 10 percent of all colonoscopies in the U.S. are performed for evaluation of IBS symptoms. Irritable bowel syndrome affects 15 percent of the population and is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel habits.
Low doses of aspirin increase chance of developing ulcers
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Aspirin has long been hailed as one of the most effective, low-cost ways to help guard against a heart attack or stroke. However, international medical researchers caution that low doses of aspirin also increase a patient’s chance of developing an ulcer, often without warning signs.
The JUPITER study measured the prevalence and incidence of gastroduodenal ulcers among 187 aspirin therapy patients from Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and Spain.
Withdrawn drug may help in Crohn’s disease
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A drug pulled from the market by the manufacturer following reports of serious side effects in patients with multiple sclerosis may help some sufferers of Crohn’s disease, a new study showed.
But in many instances, the drug natalizumab will be no better than a placebo, said the study published in the November 3rd edition of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Largest study to date on risk factors associated with primary biliary cirrhosis
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A case-control study of more than 2000 people has identified a number of factors that may induce primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in genetically susceptible individuals. These include a history of urinary tract infections, hormone replacement therapy, tobacco use, and nail polish use.
The study is published in the November 2005 issue of Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hepatology is available online via Wiley InterScience.
Surgery Seen as Best Treatment for Small Bowel Obstruction
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Patients with small bowel obstruction who were sent to the OR had better long-term outcomes than those treated non-surgically or whose eventual surgery was delayed, according to a retrospective study.
In an analysis of 32,583 cases of small bowel obstruction, mortality was higher among the non-surgery patients, with 8% dying during their hospital stay and 25% in the year after admission. By comparison, 5% of the surgery patients died while in the hospital, and 16% died during the following year.
