Low-gluten diet benefits may be due to low fiber

Healthy adults had less bloating, increased well-being, and a small but significant weight loss on low-gluten compared with high-gluten diets, a study published in Nature Communications found. However, the study found those benefits may be linked to the diet’s dietary fiber rather than lack of gluten. “Gluten-free may not necessarily be the healthy choice many

Most patients over 65 don’t want life expectancy discussions

An online survey conducted in 2016 of a nationally representative group of 878 adults ages 65 and older found 59.4% did not want to talk about their life expectancy. Presented with a hypothetical situation that they were not immediately dying but had a shortened life expectancy, 59.9% indicated life expectancy discussions should not be initiated

Do you spend > 1 hr per day on the toilet?

William Chey, MD, FACG, of the University of Michigan Health System, conducted the survey of 800 patients and 200 gastroenterologists. Shire Pharmaceuticals sponsored the survey. One of the main highlights of the survey, according to Chey, was that more than half of the patients reported that they spent more than an hour a day on

Cost for GI procedures much higher at hospitals

The CMS said the average amount they pay for a colonoscopy at an ambulatory surgery center is $488, compared with $936 at a hospital outpatient center.  This payment does not include the patient’s responsibilities, deductibles, copayments, and cost of uncovered services. Still, it underscores important differences in costs, overhead, net charges, and payments on your

IBD can contribute to sexual dysfunction

According to a study in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, patients with inflammatory bowel disease often struggle with body image and sexuality and this could lead to sexual dysfunction. Men with IBD who were younger than 50 and women younger than 40 had a significantly increased risk, the study said. “Inflammatory bowel disease could have a major