Multidisciplinary care for severe IBS shows improvement over GI care alone

An abstract presented this year at DDW supports the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach for those with severe functional GI disorders. To test the efficacy of a multidisciplinary care approach, researchers recruited 35 patients with a severe manifestation of a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) — defined as having symptoms for more than 3 years that

Dietary factors in IBS

Two-thirds of patients with IBS attribute their symptoms to dietary factors. Most traditional approaches involving pharmaceuticals are only modestly effective and patients are left seeking alternative approaches, including dietary manipulation. The article referenced below aims to review dietary restrictions as a non-pharmaceutical management approach for IBS. See the article by Drs. Afrin Kamal and Mark

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

ACG position statement on antidepressants and psychological therapies in IBS

A meta-analysis and review of available supportive therapies for IBS finds that antidepressants are efficacious in reducing symptoms in IBS patients. Psychological therapies also appear to be effective treatments for IBS, although there are limitations in the quality of the evidence, and treatment effects may be overestimated as a result.   See the paper here.

Marital stress and leaky gut?

Yes, that title leads to all kinds of imagery! “Leaky gut syndrome” is a hypothetical condition that is believed to cause chronic inflammation throughout the body and may result in a wide range of conditions. Proposed sequelae include chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and autism. The proposed mechanism is that the intestinal

No microscopic colitis risk with gluten

An association between celiac disease and microscopic colitis has long been recognized. A study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology explored the possibility of non-celiac sensitivity to gluten. The results suggested eating a diet that contains gluten did not increase the risk for microscopic colitis in women who do not already have celiac disease. See

Identifying IBS biomarkers will improve treatment

Identifying biomarkers and symptoms will allow doctors to shorten the length of time it takes to find an effective treatment for IBS patients, writes Dr. William Chey of Michigan Medicine. IBS is not a single disease but likely is several issues that have similar symptoms, Chey writes. Unfortunately, no reliable markers which distinguish the subtypes

Celiac disease tied to functional dyspepsia

Celiac disease patients experience higher rates of functional dyspepsia, according to a study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Researchers also found an association between self-diagnosed wheat sensitivity (with no history of celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or colorectal cancer) and irritable bowel syndrome. See the article on Clinical Advisor here.

IBS may be diagnosed with bowel sounds

Nobel Prize winning gastroenterologist Barry Marshall discusses research in which the diagnosis of IBS may be made with bowel sound analysis. The underlying processes which lead to symptoms of IBS are well studied, well characterized, but not well understood in their entirety. Abnormalities of perception, gut rhythm, stool production, the microbiome, and the neuroendocrine system