木瓜直播

Gastroenterology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in gastroenterology.

Estrogen a Culprit in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

SAN DIEGO -- Postmenopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy are at increased risk for developing ulcerative colitis, while younger women using oral contraceptives are more likely to develop Crohn's disease.

Doctors Say 45 Common Tests 'Overused'

Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as antibiotics for sinus attacks and CT scans for low back pain, in the first phase of a long-term project.

Cheney's Heart Makes Him a Million Dollar Man

Keeping former Vice President Dick Cheney's heart beating probably will cost the healthcare system at least a million dollars, cardiac transplantation experts told 木瓜直播.

Interferon-Free Hepatitis C Tx Hits Snag

SEATTLE -- Results in a hard-to-treat patient population have clouded the future of a closely watched agent that acts against hepatitis C directly.

FDA Adds More Warnings for Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor

WASHINGTON -- Statins may cause drug-drug interactions for patients taking drugs to treat HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C, according to a new statin warning from the FDA.

H. Pylori Breath Test OK for Kids, FDA Says

A breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection available for adults may also be used in children and teens.

FDA Issues Warning on Acid Reflux Drugs

The FDA warned today that use of proton pump inhibitors -- including popular brands such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid -- may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.

ER Presentation Not the End for Colon Cancer Patients

SAN FRANCISCO -- Curative therapy is still a possibility, even if a colon cancer patient is seen for the first time in the emergency department with acute symptoms, researchers said here.

Gastric Ca Survival Rates Down, Chemo Use Up

SAN FRANCISCO -- A decline in survival rates in stage IV gastric cancer coincides with the increased use of chemotherapy rather than radiation and surgery, researchers found.

'Upset Stomach' Feels Better After Killing H. pylori

Eradicating Helicobacter pylori with antibiotics provided significant benefits to primary care patients with functional dyspepsia, according to results of a randomized trial.

Robin Gibb Looks at 'Spider Medicine' for Liver Cancer, Sources Say

茂禄驴Robin Gibb, a member of the BeeGees singing group, was hospitalized recently for complications related to liver cancer, a diagnosis that was made several months ago, according to several publications, and is reportedly investigating alternative treatments.

Colonoscopy Pioneer William Wolff Dead at 94

One of the pioneers of modern colonoscopy, William Wolff, MD, has died at the age of 94.

Consumer Group Urges Boxed Warning for PPIs

Citing research showing that withdrawal of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) leads to severe rebound acid secretion -- potentially leaving patients permanently dependent on the drugs -- the consumer group Public Citizen has told the FDA that it should require black-box warnings with the drugs.

No Approval for Rifaximin in IBS

The FDA has indicated that, before the antibiotic drug rifaximin (Xifaxan) can be approved for treating irritable bowel syndrome, its manufacturer must provide data on how the agent should be used in retreating patients with recurrent symptoms, the company said.

FDA Warns GERD Drugs May Deplete Magnesium

WASHINGTON -- Use of prescription or over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors (PPI) for a year or longer may lead to low levels of circulating magnesium, which may increase the risk of leg spasms, arrhythmias, and seizures, according to an FDA warning.

FDA Panel Rejects Cystic Fibrosis Drug

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- An FDA advisory committee has voted against approval of liprotamase (Sollpura), a pancreatic enzyme product for cystic fibrosis and other diseases that cause pancreatic insufficiency, saying there is not enough evidence that the drug works better than agents already on the market.

Complications Common After Endoscopy

Complications after endoscopy may be more common than previously thought, researchers say.

ACG: GI Docs Should Ask About Abuse

SAN ANTONIO -- Gastroenterologists may want to be attuned to signs of possible abuse or trauma among their patients, a researcher suggested here.

ACG: C. Diff No Match for Cheap Spice

SAN ANTONIO -- A component of the inexpensive curry spice turmeric may help ward off infection with Clostridium difficile in hospitals, researchers said here.

DDW: SSRI May Ease Reflux in Select Patients

NEW ORLEANS -- Patients with a hypersensitive esophagus may get relief of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), researchers said here.

ASCO GI: Targeted Agent Slows Neuroendocrine Tumors

ORLANDO -- Patients with progressive pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors lived twice as long without progression when treated with sunitinib (Sutent) compared with placebo, data from a French clinical trial showed.

Once-Chronic Peptic Ulcers Now Curable

Over the past 25 years, peptic ulcer disease went from a costly, chronic condition to one that can be eliminated with little chance of recurrence. But the road from point A to point B was not an easy one.

The Top 10 Medical Advances of the Decade

From genome to hormones, doctors pick the top medical advances of the decade.

AHA: FDA Drops Clopidogrel Bomb at AHA

ORLANDO -- The FDA has issued a public health advisory warning patients and physicians that concommitant use of clopidogrel (Plavix) and omeprazole (Prilosec and Prilosec OTC) blunts the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel, so the combination should be avoided.

Herbal Supplement Suspect in Hepatitis

An herbal supplement containing artemisinin may have triggered hepatitis in a Seattle man who was given the supplement by a naturopathic provider for treatment of a parasitic infection.

DDW: New Guidelines Likely to Permit Low-Dose Aspirin During Endoscopy

CHICAGO -- A revision of guidelines on use of blood thinners in endoscopy patients is likely to recommend against stopping low-dose aspirin therapy, according to a preview offered here at Digestive Disease Week.

Many Barrett's Esophagus Diagnoses Are Inaccurate

LITTLE FALLS, N.J. -- Electronic records indicating a diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus were wrong more than one-third of the time in a new study.

Medicare Finalizes Denial of Virtual Colonoscopy Coverage

BALTIMORE -- CT colonography for colorectal cancer screening will not be covered under Medicare, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has confirmed.

Double-Balloon Enteroscopy Cost-Effective for Obscure GI Bleeding

STANFORD, Calif. -- For patients with difficult-to-detect gastrointestinal bleeding, an initial double-balloon enteroscopy is a cost-effective approach for diagnosis and treatment, researchers here said.

With Boxed Warning, Oral Eltrombopag Okayed by FDA for Chronic ITP

PHILADELPHIA -- The FDA has approved oral eltrombopag (Promacta) for refractory chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), the drug's maker announced.

Normal Enzyme Levels May Hide Advanced Liver Fibrosis

MILAN, Italy -- Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease but normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are still at risk of severe hepatic disease, researchers found.

FDA Approves Natalizumab (Tysabri) for Crohn's Disease

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA today approved natalizumab (Tysabri), the star-crossed multiple sclerosis agent, for refractory moderate-to- severe Crohn's disease showing evidence of inflammation.

High Normal ALT Limit Lowered for Male Adolescents

SYDNEY, Australia -- The upper limit of normal for the ALT liver enzyme in adolescent males has been too high, said researchers here.

ACG: Weight Gain with Infliximab in Crohn's Disease Confirmed but Not Explained

PHILADELPHIA -- Unexplained weight gain in patients with Crohn's disease treated with infliximab remains a mystery, according to investigators in a small study reported here.

Early Swimming Increases Diarrhea Risk For Babies

NEUHERBERG, Germany -- Babies taken swimming in public pools in the first year of life have an increased risk of diarrhea, researchers here said.

AANP: Treatment for IBS Includes Education, Reassurance, and Medication

INDIANAPOLIS -- Although the recent withdrawal of tegaserod from the market has left a hole in the options available to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), there are still many available.

AGS: Geriatricians Go Slow with Newer Chronic Constipation Therapies

SEATTLE -- Few geriatricians appear willing to try newer medications to treat chronic constipation in older adults, an informal survey here showed.

Heart Risk Prompts FDA to Pull IBS Agent Tegaserod (Zelnorm)

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA said today that Novartis has halted sales of tegaserod (Zelnorm), its agent for irritable bowel syndrome and constipation, following suggestions of a small increase in ischemic events, including angina and stroke, in those taking the drug.

ASCO GI: Avastin Gives No Survival Advantage in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

ORLANDO -- The addition of Avastin (bevacizumab) to Gemzar (gemcitabine) did not improve survival of advanced pancreatic cancer in a randomized trial, researchers here reported.

Acute Diverticulitis Growing More Common in Younger Patients

BALTIMORE -- Acute diverticulitis is not as rare an occurrence in younger adults as commonly believed, particularly for obese men.

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