Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for November 2006. 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.
Pioglitazone Benefits Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- A hypocaloric diet plus pioglitazone significantly improves glucose tolerance and liver function in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to the results of a proof-of-concept study reported in the Nov. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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β-Catenin Plays Role in Liver Growth and Regeneration
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- β-catenin seems to be important for both normal liver growth and liver regeneration after traumatic injury, according to the results of a study in mice published in the November issue Gastroenterology.
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Fluticasone May Improve Eosinophilic Esophagitis
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Oral doses of fluticasone propionate can reduce symptoms and promote histologic remission in pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis, according to the results of a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial published in the November issue of Gastroenterology.
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Gallstone Risk Higher in Men Who Lose, Regain Weight
MONDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Men who go through one or more cycles of losing and regaining weight have a greater risk of developing gallstones than men who maintain a steady weight, researchers report in the Nov. 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Iron Loading Mutation Linked to Hepatitis C Response
MONDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- While mutations in the HFE gene have been linked to increased iron loading and possible liver injury, they also correlate with sustained virologic responses to chronic hepatitis C therapy, according to a report in the November issue of Gastroenterology.
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FDA Approves Generic Ondansetron for Injection
MONDAY, Nov. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two generic injected forms of the drug Zofran (ondansetron) to be used for the prevention of nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy or surgery.
Colorectal Cancer Surgery Quality Indicators Studied
THURSDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Newly identified process-based quality indicators may improve care for patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer, according to a report published in the Nov.15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Sessile Serrated Polyps More Common in Women
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Sessile serrated adenomas are found in 9 percent of colonoscopy patients, and they are more common in female patients and those with multiple polyps, researchers report in the November issue of Gastroenterology. The adenomas are more likely to be found in the proximal colon.
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Risk of Colon Cancer Recurrence Higher in Obese Patients
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Colon cancer patients with a body mass index, or BMI, of more than 35 kg/m2 have a significantly higher risk of recurrence and mortality compared with their normal weight counterparts, according to study findings reported in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Smoking Increases Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
MONDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking increases the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, with current smoking nearly doubling the risk of Crohn disease and former smoking nearly doubling the risk of ulcerative colitis, according to a meta-analysis published in the November issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Study Finds Colonoscopy Still Underused in Veterans
FRIDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Although colonoscopy usage has significantly increased over the past several years, fecal occult blood testing dominates colorectal cancer (CRC) testing in veterans, one study finds, while another questions the benefit of colorectal screening in younger patients with reduced life expectancy. Both studies are published in the Nov. 13 Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Chemotherapy Helps After Colon Cancer-Liver Resection
THURSDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with resected liver metastases from colorectal cancer, even a suboptimal regimen of chemotherapy may provide a significant disease-free survival benefit compared to surgery alone, according to a report in the Nov. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Infertility Risk Higher After Ulcerative Colitis Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Women with severe ulcerative colitis who undergo colectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) have an infertility rate approximately threefold higher than women treated with medical management, according to study findings published in the November issue of Gut.
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Long-Term Acid Suppression Marker for Cancer Risk
FRIDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Although long-term pharmacologic gastric acid suppression is linked to increased rates of esophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma, the association is likely due to the underlying treatment indication as an independent risk factor, not the drugs themselves, according to research published in the November issue of Gut.
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Mutation Negatively Impacts Pancreatic Cancer Survival
THURSDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Pancreatic cancer patients with a particular gene mutation at the histologically negative surgical margins of the tumor have significantly lower overall survival, according to study findings published in the November issue of Gut.
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More Procedures after Pneumatic Dilatation for Achalasia
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with achalasia treated initially with pneumatic dilatation have a greater risk for a subsequent intervention at one, five and 10 years compared to those who had primary surgical myotomy, according to a report in the Nov. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Colorectal Screening in Older, Sick Patients Reconsidered
TUESDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Colorectal screening in older patients with multiple chronic conditions should be carefully considered because their life expectancy is substantially reduced, according to a report in the Nov. 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Restaurant Tomatoes
MONDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and affected states found that the recent outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that sickened 183 people in 21 states was caused by consumption of tomatoes in restaurants, according to a statement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Gender Difference Seen in Acute Coronary Syndrome
MONDAY, Nov. 6 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with acute coronary syndrome, men are more likely to present with excessive sweating, or diaphoresis, while women are more likely to present with nausea, according to the results of a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Men Have More Advanced Colorectal Cancer at Diagnosis
THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Male patients undergoing colonoscopy tend to have more advanced colorectal cancer at diagnosis than female patients, according to a report in the Nov. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings suggest that gender should be taken into account along with age and family history when making screening recommendations.
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