July 2010 Briefing - Gastroenterology
Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for July 2010. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Fecal Occult Blood Testing May Be Most Efficient Choice
FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Although colonoscopy is a more accurate colorectal cancer screening method, fecal occult blood testing is likely to result in more individuals getting screened and more life-years gained, suggesting it may be the best approach for programs with limited budgets, according to a study published online July 29 in Health Affairs.
'Ablate and Wait' Effective for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- The use of tumor ablation followed by a period of observation for all patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) listed for transplant may be an effective strategy, as it may eliminate patients whose disease is likely to recur after transplantation, according to an opinion piece published online July 23 in Liver Transplantation.
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Specialties See Modest Compensation Increases in '09
FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Most medical specialties saw modest compensation increases in 2009, but many provider organizations are still operating at a substantial loss, according to the findings of the American Medical Group Association's (AMGA) 2010 Medical Group Compensation and Financial Survey.
β-Cell Replication Up in Young Donors After Long Life Support
THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Preterminal clinical conditions in young organ donors may result in increased inflammatory infiltration of the pancreas and increased β-cell replication after prolonged life support, according to a study published in the July issue of Diabetes.
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Differences in Brain Structure Seen in Females With IBS
THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Females with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have structural gray matter brain alterations in areas involved in evaluative and cognitive functions, according to research published in the July issue of Gastroenterology.
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High Doses of UDCA Not Beneficial for NASH Patients
WEDNESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- High doses of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) do not appear to improve overall histology compared with placebo in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), according to a study published in the August issue of Hepatology.
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Depression May Compromise Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus
MONDAY, July 26 (HealthDay News) -- Symptoms of major depression in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are often missed during routine clinical interviews, and the presence of depression hinders treatment outcomes; in addition, HCV is associated with greater absence from work, lower productivity, and higher health care costs, according to two articles published in the August issue of Hepatology.
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Study Identifies Major Peptide Culprits in Celiac Disease
THURSDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- The overactive immune response to gluten that characterizes celiac disease results mostly from a limited number of peptides activating pathogenic T cells, suggesting that the disease might be prevented by developing nontoxic gluten products or be treated with immunotherapy, according to a study in the July 21 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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CRC Screening Disparities Persist for Seniors on Medicare
TUESDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) -- Despite expanding coverage for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in the Medicare population, disparities persist based on differences in usual place of health care, education level, and insurance coverage type, according to research published in the July/August issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Six-Gene Signature May Predict Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis
MONDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- A six-gene signature associated with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can independently predict survival, according to a study published online July 13 in PLoS Medicine.
Fecal Calprotectin Test IDs Patients Likely to Have IBD
FRIDAY, July 16 (HealthDay News) -- Measuring fecal calprotectin levels is an effective screening approach for identifying patients with the highest likelihood of requiring endoscopy for suspected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), though the specificity of the test is significantly better in adults than in children, according to research published July 15 in BMJ.
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MPV4 Vaccine Not Linked to Henoch-Schönlein Purpura
WEDNESDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPV4) does not appear to be associated with post-vaccination Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in 16- to 20-year-olds, according to research published online July 12 in Pediatrics.
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Comorbidities Add to Colorectal Cancer Racial Disparities
MONDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) -- Among patients with colorectal cancer, comorbidities and socioeconomic status appear to be relatively important explanations for the poorer survival seen in blacks compared to Asians and whites, according to research published online July 12 in Cancer.
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Childhood Obesity Linked to Increased GERD Risk
MONDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) -- Moderately and extremely obese children are at an increased risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) compared with normal-weight children, according to research published online July 9 in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity.
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Gastric Acid Drugs May Increase Hip Fracture Risk
FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- The use of drugs that inhibit gastric acid is linked to a higher risk of hip fracture among patients; however, with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) this appears limited to those who have at least one other fracture risk factor, according to research published in the July issue of Gastroenterology.
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Improper Anesthesia Practice Causes Hepatitis Outbreak
FRIDAY, July 9 (HealthDay News) -- An anesthesiologist who reused a contaminated single-use propofol vial on multiple endoscopy patients caused an outbreak of hepatitis infection affecting 13 patients at two clinics, according to a report published in the July issue of Gastroenterology.
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Risk of GI Bleeding Varies by NSAID Type, Dosage
WEDNESDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of gastrointestinal (GI) complications due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use varies by the specific drug used and by dosage, and those with a slow-release formulation or long half-life are associated with a greater risk, according to research published in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Changes in Insulin Resistance After Roux-en-Y Tied to Diet
THURSDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Improvements in insulin resistance that occur in the first week after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery appear to be due mostly to caloric restriction, according to research published in the July issue of Diabetes Care.
H. Pylori's Link to Cancer Risk Unaffected by Other Factors
THURSDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- People who have evidence of prior Helicobacter pylori infection are at reduced risk for some forms of esophageal cancer, and this risk reduction is not modified by genotype, other host characteristics, or environmental factors, according to a study in the July issue of Gastroenterology.
Many Doctors in Specialties Other Than Their Early Choices
WEDNESDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Ten years after graduation, approximately one-fourth of doctors work in a specialty other than the one they chose in their third year post-graduation, according to research published online July 6 in BMJ.
FOBT Accuracy Declines As Temperature Rises
WEDNESDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) for the detection of colorectal cancer is significantly less accurate in the summer than in the winter, according to research published online July 5 in Gut.
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CDC: U.S. Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates Up
TUESDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates have increased in the United States since 2002 and mammography rates have plateaued, while millions of people have not undergone recommended CRC screening, and millions of women have not had a recent mammogram, according to research published July 6 in an early issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
CDC: Surge in Childhood Hepatitis A Vaccination Stalled
FRIDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- As the result of a broadened recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), hepatitis A average vaccination coverage for children increased sharply from 2006 to 2007, but has since stalled, according to a report in the July 2 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Report Addresses Physician Financial Conflicts in Care
THURSDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- In a new report, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) urges U.S. teaching hospitals to establish policies that ensure financial relationships between physicians and industry do not result in conflicts of interest that influence patient care.
Half of Cirrhosis Patients With Ascites Have Renal Failure
THURSDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- About half of all patients with cirrhosis will develop functional renal failure after the development of ascites, and renal failure in these patients is linked to worse prognosis, according to research published in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Small Polyps Found in Virtual Colonoscopy Rarely Malignant
THURSDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Small polyps discovered in computed tomography colonography (CTC) rarely contain high-grade dysplasia or are malignant, and the malignancy rate for large polyps discovered in CTC is less than 1 percent, suggesting that less aggressive management of lesions detected by CTC may be warranted, according to research published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Home Symptoms Poor Indicator of Lactose Malabsorption
THURSDAY, July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Daily life subjective symptoms associated with lactose intolerance are often worse than symptoms after a lactose challenge test and are not a good indicator of true lactose malabsorption, according to research published in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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