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Gastroenterology
Probiotics not always beneficial – US study
Taking powders and capsules of live microorganisms can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the intestinal tract of healthy people and lead to less...
Steady decline in survival of pancreatitis surgery patients – US study
A recent study has found declining survival rates for pancreatic surgery patients, most of whom have opted for the operation as their only hope...
Interval FITs could reduce need for colonoscopies – Australian analysis
A recent retrospective analysis of patients with above-average risk of colorectal cancer, found that multiple negative faecal immunohistochemical tests (FITs) were associated with a lower...
Colonoscopy may not be gold standard of colon cancer screening – large randomised trial
Results from a clinical trial in Norway have cast doubts on the commonly held belief that if everyone would get a colonoscopy screening just...
Faecal transplantation beats antibiotics for CDI, pharmaceuticals company reports
A randomised trial in patients with early C. difficile infection (CDI), faecal microbiota transplant (FMT)-based therapy was found to be highly effective and superior...
Storage of faeces in stool banks could help restore gut health later, say scientists
As awful as it sounds, scientists say taking a sample of your stool when you’re young to replace into your colon when you’re older...
High-fat diet with antibiotic use linked to gut inflammation
A small University of California – Davis study found that combining a Western-style high-fat diet with antibiotic use significantly increases the risk of developing pre-inflammatory bowel...
Inflammatory bowel disease linked to doubled dementia risk in nationwide study
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is linked to a more than doubling in the risk of developing dementia,...
Regular aspirin to reduce bowel cancer risks lasts at least 10 years after stopping Tx
A regular dose of aspirin to reduce the risk of inherited bowel cancer lasts at least 10 years after stopping treatment, research has revealed....
Ok, I'll have just a quick glass of red, if you insist…
The King's College London authors of a new three-cohort international study on gut microbiota, explain in The Conversation why — despite all the documented...
Largest FMT study in children to date identifies predictors of success
Faecal microbiota transplant (FMT), or the transfer of stool from a healthy donor to a patient, has been found highly effective in reversing severe...
No watching and waiting with ingested button batteries — study
Damage to the lining of the stomach can occur quickly when children swallow button batteries; therefore, clinicians should consider prompt endoscopic removal, even when...
Peppermint oil may give symptomatic relief with dysphagia and chest pain
Peppermint can help with the difficulty swallowing and non-cardiac chest pain experienced by some patients with disorders of the oesophagus, report investigators at the...
Faecal transplant shows potential as treatment for autism
A special type of faecal transplant showed at two-year point sustained improved gut health, as well as a sustained 45% reduction in core autism spectrum...
Restaurant claims of 'gluten-free' are often incorrect — US study
Even tiny amounts of gluten in foods are troublesome for people with coeliac disease, and restaurants may be the hardest places to avoid the...
Microbiome patterns predict colorectal cancer occurrence
Gut microbiota can be used to predict the occurrence of colorectal cancer, the second most common type of cancer in women and the third...
Annual non-invasive test effective for colon cancer screening
A US meta-analysis of 31 studies and 120.255 participants found that average risk patients can safely opt for an easy-to-use Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)...
Looking to hypnotherapy to improve IBS symptoms
Hypnotherapy should be considered as a possible treatment for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in primary and secondary care, found a Dutch trial.
People...
Endurance training may benefit gut microbiota composition
Endurance exercise training beneficially modifies gut microbiota composition, decreasing potentially inflammation causing microbes and increasing those linked to enhanced metabolism.
Even though there was no...
Compound found in gut could help reduce cocaine addiction
US scientists believe they may be on to a possible cure for cocaine addiction with the help of bile acids, the gut compounds used for...
Artificial sweeteners found to be toxic to gut microbes
FDA-approved artificial sweeteners and sport supplements were found to be toxic to digestive gut microbes, according to a study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University...
Off-the-shelf probiotics 'are almost useless'
Probiotic 'cocktails' that are not tailored to individual needs have little or no effect on the gut, except that the trial on 46 people...
A review article on the clinical use of probiotics
A review article in Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News provides recommendations for the selection of a probiotic regimen where evidence appears strong.
Interest in modifying the gut...
Food fad? New illness? Trying to find what is really behind gluten sensitivity
Enigmatic cases with a mystery ailment, reports Science Mag. These patients were convinced gluten was making them sick but there was no evidence that...
Using artificial intelligence to identify colorectal adenomas
A new computer-aided endoscopic diagnosis system has been shown to automatically identify colorectal adenomas during colonoscopy, in one of the first prospective trials of...
PPI use not associated with dementia, study concludes
There is no convincing evidence to support previous suggestions that proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use increases dementia risk, concludes a Harvard analysis of the Nurses' Health...
Therapeutic donor microbes remain long after faecal microbiota transplantation
Researchers say a small study offers the first proof that therapeutic donor microbes remain for months or years in patients who've undergone faecal microbiota...
Long-term PPI usage is linked to increased mortality risk
Long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), widely used as an over-the-counter treatment for heartburn, ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems, is linked to a 25%...
Low vitamin D levels increase UC relapse risk
Lower levels of vitamin D in the blood increase the risk of clinical relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), found a study led...
High red meat intake may increase diverticulitis risk
A high dietary intake of red meat, particularly of the unprocessed variety, is linked to a heightened risk of developing the common inflammatory bowel...
Quick tests for irritable bowel syndrome
People afflicted by irritable bowel syndrome can now be diagnosed quickly and accurately with two simple blood tests.
Look to the genes in gut microbiome – study
Recent studies have linked the gut microbiome to obesity. But Gladstone Institutes scientists have found no significant relationship between body mass index and gut microbe types and postulate that it is the genetics of the bacteria that is important.
Woman obese after stool transplant
Doctors report that a woman has dramatically gained weight after a stool transplant from her daughter.
Celiac disease not confined to thin children
Overweight children are just as likely as thin children to have celiac disease, a University of Rome study confirms, disproving a common misconception even among many doctors.
Surgery effective for oesophageal reflux
A US study has found that trans-oral fundoplication surgery is an effective treatment for patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, especially for those with persistent regurgitation despite proton pump inhibitor therapy.
Evidence that antibiotics may fight norovirus
Antibiotics aren't supposed to be effective against viruses. But new evidence in mice suggests antibiotics may help fight norovirus, a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus, report scientists at Washington University
Less costly plan for treatment of bleeding ulcers
The current standard of care for managing patients who receive endoscopic treatment for bleeding ulcers should be replaced by an equally safe and less...
Vibrating capsule shows promise as constipation treatment
An oral capsule that vibrates as it moves through the digestive tract has shown notable promise as a non-pharmacological treatment for constipation, according to...
GERD sufferers could be better off with a gastric by-pass – survey
The results of a large US analysis suggest that patients who are about to undergo bariatric surgery may be better off having a gastric...