Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for October 2009. 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.
Proteins Expressed in Liver Cancer May Indicate Prognosis
FRIDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The expression of certain epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) protein regulators in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are correlated with disease invasiveness, metastasis and a poor prognosis, according to a study in the November issue of Hepatology.
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Additional Recommendations for Imaging on the Rise
THURSDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Recommendations for additional imaging in radiology reports at one institution increased steeply in recent years, and from 1980 to 2006, radiologic and nuclear medicine procedures increased roughly 10-fold and 2.5 fold, respectively, according to two studies the November issue of Radiology.
Abstract - Sistrom
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Abstract - Mettler
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Overweight Patients May Have Effect on Doctor's Attitude
THURSDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians have lower respect for patients with high body mass index (BMI), which may have an impact on patient care and outcomes, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Medical School Enrollment Continues to Expand
MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 18,400 students enrolled in medical school in the United States in 2009, a 2 percent increase over the previous year, but even more expansion is needed to meet future demand, according to an Oct. 20 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
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Coffee Drinking May Cut Risk of Liver Disease Progression
MONDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- People with advanced hepatitis C-related liver disease who drink three or more cups of coffee a day have lower risk of disease progression than non-coffee drinkers, according to a study in the November issue of Hepatology.
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Death After Bariatric Surgery in Extremely Obese Examined
FRIDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) -- In patients who undergo bariatric surgery, extreme obesity and a high burden of chronic disease is associated with an increased risk of death within one year post-surgery, according to a study in the October issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Some Hospital Staff Predicted to Be Infection Superspreaders
THURSDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital staff such as therapists and radiologists who are in contact with all patients have the potential to be superspreaders of infection if they fail to wash their hands regularly, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Cisplatin Alone Effective in Children With Hepatoblastoma
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Cisplatin alone is just as effective as, but less toxic than, cisplatin plus doxorubicin in children with standard-risk hepatoblastoma, according to a study in the Oct. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Sources Find Different Numbers of Active Physicians
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Estimates from U.S. Census Bureau surveys find fewer older physicians remaining active compared with the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile data, according to research published in the Oct. 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Drugs to Treat Bowel Disease Linked to Lymphomas
MONDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Thiopurine drugs given as immunosuppressants to treat inflammatory bowel disease are associated with a more than five-fold risk of developing lymphomas, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in The Lancet.
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Hormone Deficiency Linked to Impaired Glucose Metabolism
MONDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Mice deficient in a gastrointestinal hormone implicated in glucose metabolism spontaneously develop impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and visceral obesity, according to a study published online Oct. 9 in Endocrinology.
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FDA Launches Drug Disposal Advice Web Page
FRIDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched a new Web page for consumers to educate them on the safe disposal of certain medicines that can be dangerous or even fatal if they end up in the wrong hands.
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Abdominal Pain Common in Childhood, Adolescence
FRIDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Both children and adolescents frequently experience abdominal pain, and it is a common cause of a visit to the doctor, according to a study in the October issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Histological Response Linked to Fewer Hep B Complications
FRIDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic hepatitis B patients who have a biochemical or histological response to treatment are less likely to experience liver-related complications, according to a study in the October issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Study Finds Endoscopists Can Safely Sedate With Propofol
THURSDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Endoscopists can safely sedate patients with propofol during gastroenterological procedures, according to a study in the October issue of Gastroenterology.
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Action Urged to Reduce Global Diarrhea Deaths in Children
THURSDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In an effort to reduce the worldwide diarrhea death toll among children, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization have issued a series of prevention and treatment recommendations and an urgent call-to-action, published online Oct. 14 in The Lancet.
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Study Looks at Enema Benefits in Constipated Children
THURSDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Regular enemas may not provide additional benefit to oral laxative regimens used in children with chronic and severe constipation, according to a randomized controlled trial completed in the Netherlands and published in the October issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Physician Detailing Improves Colonoscopy Screening Rates
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A series of detailing sessions to small urban physician practices about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening improved the practices' screening rates by 7 percent, but not cost-effectively, according to a study published online Oct. 13 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Study Evaluates Hospital Quality and Mortality Rates
TUESDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital mortality rates in the United States have improved, although major differences in quality still exist between the best and worst hospitals, according to a report published Oct. 13 by HealthGrades.
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Lifestyle Counseling May Help Obese With Weight Loss
TUESDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Lifestyle counseling from a clinical practitioner targeting prevention of weight gain may help overweight and obese individuals lose or maintain their weight, according to the results of a Dutch randomized control trial published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Survey Assesses Management of Liver Transplant Patients
MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Hepatologists overwhelmingly agree that primary care physicians should play a more active part in the management of common metabolic complications in liver transplant patients, according to a study published in the October issue of Liver Transplantation.
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Guided Imagery Program Can Help Ease Children's Belly Pain
MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Adding a home-based guided imagery program to standard medical care was found to more effectively treat functional abdominal pain in children than medical care alone, according to research published online Oct. 12 in Pediatrics.
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Text Message Alerts May Improve Drug Adherence
MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) -- A text messaging reminder service may help young people better adhere to their immunosuppressant regimen following liver transplantation, according to research published online Oct. 12 in Pediatrics.
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Health Care Disparities Among States Found to Be Widening
FRIDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing health care costs and growing disparities in coverage among U.S. states point to the urgent need for national health care reform, according to an Oct. 8 state-by-state report card from the Commonwealth Fund Commission, a private foundation supporting research on the health care system.
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Impact of Maternal Depression and Abuse on Children Studied
FRIDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- When mothers have mental health problems or are victims of family abuse, it negatively impacts the care and health of their children, according to a pair of studies in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Abstract - Conron
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Abstract - Asling-Monemi
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Oral Vaccine May Help Prevent Endemic Cholera
FRIDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- An inexpensive, locally-produced oral cholera vaccine may benefit populations threatened by endemic cholera, according to a double-blind Indian study published online Oct. 9 in The Lancet.
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H2-Blockers Deemed Safe to Treat Pregnant Women
THURSDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthDay News) -- H2-blockers such as famotidine, ranitidine and cimetidine are safe to treat pregnant women for peptic ulcers or gastroesophageal reflux, according to a study published online Sept. 29 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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Autoantibodies Against Osteoprotegerin Examined
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A case of osteoporosis with high bone turnover in a relatively young man with celiac disease suggests a possible role for autoantibodies against osteoprotegerin in osteoporosis in patients with this condition, according to research published in the Oct. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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MicroRNA Biomarker Linked to Survival in Liver Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A microRNA biomarker has been identified in liver tumors, with differing levels by gender, and associated with survival and response to interferon treatment, according to a study in the Oct. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Roundtable Discussion Tackles Health Care Reform
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The health care payment system, the role of consumers in responsible health care spending, and the use of comparative-effectiveness research were topics covered in a roundtable discussion with several health economics experts published in the Oct. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Perspective - Cutler
Medical Students Want More Practice of Medicine Training
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Medical students in the United States perceive that they are not getting enough training in the practice of medicine, particularly in medical economics, according to a study in the September issue of Academic Medicine.
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Effectiveness and Cost Help to Make Coverage Decisions
TUESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Countries using evidence-based cost-effectiveness and effectiveness to help make drug coverage decisions show how these factors can successfully support decision making and can also be adapted to the specific conditions of other countries, according to a study in the Oct. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Augmentation of Antiemetic Drug Regimen Explored
TUESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of casopitant, a neurokinin (NK)-1 receptor antagonist, to an antiemetic regimen of dexamethasone and ondansetron reduced vomiting and use of rescue medications in breast cancer patients undergoing their first cycle of chemotherapy, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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New Guidelines Endorsed for Pediatric Hepatitis B
MONDAY, Oct. 5 (HealthDay News) -- New recommendations seek to improve the screening, monitoring, initial management, and referral of children with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), according to a special article published online Oct. 5 in Pediatrics.
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Use of Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair Increasing
FRIDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The use of endovascular repair (EVAR) has increased over open repair (OAR) for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) during this decade in the United States, which is associated with better outcomes, according to a study in the October Journal of Vascular Surgery.
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Drug Tied to Lower Colectomy Rate in Ulcerative Colitis
FRIDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, treatment with infliximab is associated with a significantly lower likelihood of undergoing colectomy within one year, according to a study published in the October Gastroenterology.
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Surgical Masks Found to Be Non-Inferior to Respirators
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical masks may be no less effective than N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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CDC Says States Not Meeting Fruit and Veggie Objectives
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- In a Sept. 29 press release, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says no U.S. state is currently meeting the national Healthy People 2010 objectives for fruit and vegetable consumption.
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Physicians May Fail to Act on Electronic Alerts Quickly
THURSDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians using a system with electronic medical records and computerized alerts may not acknowledge or act upon critical imaging results in a timely manner, according to research published in the Sept. 28 Archives of Internal Medicine.
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