Bariatric surgery that brings about rapid weight loss also raises the risk of hospital admissions for pancreatitis, gallstones and other gallbladder conditions by 10 to 100 times, researchers reported at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting. The researchers said physicians may want to prescribe bile acid sequestrants to patients to reduce the risk of gallstones and
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
Almost 1 in 5 patients with symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease also had non-Clostridium difficile enteric infection, according to a study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Although the infections had an effect on treatment, there was no long-term effect. See the article on MedPage Today here.
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
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
Obese African-American youths had more severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but overall NAFLD was more common among obese white or Hispanic youth, according to a study in Hepatology. Earlier studies have shown Hispanic adults and children had the highest rates of NAFLD, while African-Americans have a lower likelihood of developing hepatic fat accumulation. See the
Researchers conclude that fecal profiling of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) may provide a low cost, non-invasive tool to predict the responses of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients to probiotics and diets low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP’s). Modeling baseline fecal VOC’s, and using key features of VOC profiles, correctly predicted response to
Every 10 percent dietary increase in packaged snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals and other highly processed foods boosts the risk for cancer by 12 percent, new research suggests. In several developed countries, ultra-processed foods may make up as much as 50 percent of the daily diet, the researchers noted. This includes convenience foods, such
An article appearing in Nature suggested that a common food additive known as trehalose might be responsible for the current Clostridium difficile epidemic. The Nature paper shows us that two of the most virulent strains of C. diff, including the “hypervirulent” ribotype 027, can metabolize even trace amounts of trehalose. They go on to show that when strains are mixed together, low
A new study shows a product based on activated charcoal protects the gut microbiome in patients taking antibiotics. The Phase I clinical trial showed promising results. The study reported in the Journal of Infectious Diseases compared DAV132, with a placebo. “DAV132 was highly effective to protect the gut microbiome of moxafloxacin-treated healthy volunteers and may
