Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Salvage surgery for oropharyngeal cancer needs due consideration

Japanese study results indicate a 5-year overall survival rate of 49% for oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with salvage surgery after initial treatment with chemoradiotherapy has failed.

9 Aug 2012

Alfa Wassermann, Salix enter license agreement for EIR formulation of rifaximin

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. and Alfa Wassermann S.p.A. today announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement by which Salix has licensed rights in the United States and Canada to an extended intestinal release (EIR) formulation of rifaximin for gastrointestinal and respiratory indications, including Crohn's disease.

9 Aug 2012

Vulvodynia confers risk for other chronic pain syndromes

Women who experience vulvodynia are more likely than those without the pain syndrome to have fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis, and irritable bowel syndrome, research suggests.

8 Aug 2012

Researchers call for digital rectal exam revival

Rates of digital rectal examination are low in clinical practice and levels of sufficient training in the technique may be in decline, the results of a US study suggest.

8 Aug 2012

New clinical trial to study how worm eggs may relieve symptoms of ulcerative colitis

A new clinical trial designed to study how worm eggs may relieve symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC) will begin enrolling patients at NYU School of Medicine's Clinical and Translational Science Institute. This unusual therapy has been used in previous clinical trials on patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, but the mechanism of action is unclear.

8 Aug 2012

Elimination diet may help manage cow's milk protein allergy in infants

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), although difficult to diagnose in young children, shows a causative relationship to otolaryngic symptoms. A new study in the August journal, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery suggests an elimination diet may help manage such conditions in children under two and reduce the need for more serious upper airway tests and interventions.

8 Aug 2012

Dental health linked to falls in Japanese elderly

Japanese study results indicate that elderly individuals with 19 or fewer teeth who do not wear dentures are at a greater risk for incident falls than their counterparts with 20 teeth or more.

7 Aug 2012

NYUCN professor to investigate efficacy of Acu/Moxa in managing irritable bowel syndrome

New York University College of Nursing's (NYUCN) Joyce K. Anastasi, PhD, DrNP, FAAN, LAc., the Independence Foundation Endowed Professor and Founding Director of the Division of Special Studies in Symptom Management at NYUCN has been awarded a $2.5 million four-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for the study of "Symptom management for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) constipation".

7 Aug 2012

Adalimumab effective in maintaining remission in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease

Adalimumab (an anti-tumor necrosis factor [TNF] antibody) is effective in maintaining remission in certain pediatric patients with Crohn's disease, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

7 Aug 2012

Public Health Wales uses Luminex's xTAG GPP for outbreak investigations during Olympic events

Luminex Corporation announced today that Public Health Wales is using Luminex's CE marked xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) for outbreak investigation activities during Olympic and Paralympic training and events taking place in Wales. Results of a substantial diagnostic validation of the GPP test conducted by The Public Health Wales Microbiology laboratory team at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, are anticipated to be published in a peer reviewed journal

From Luminex 6 Aug 2012

'Fight' between bacteria in the intestines linked to chronic disease

Results from a study conducted at Georgia State University suggest that a "fight" between bacteria normally living in the intestines and the immune system, kicked off by another type of bacteria, may be linked to two types of chronic disease.

3 Aug 2012

Screening tool could help oral cancer detection

Indian researchers report the development of a novel, simple screening tool with a high degree of accuracy for the detection of oral premalignancies that can be used in a general health setting without the need for much training or clinical experience.

2 Aug 2012

Women with vulvodynia more likely to also have other chronic pain conditions

Millions of women suffer from unexplained vulvar pain so severe it can make intercourse, exercise and even sitting unbearable. New research now shows that women with this painful vaginal condition known as vulvodynia are two to three times more likely to also have one or more other chronic pain conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia (musculoskeletal pain) and interstitial cystitis (bladder pain).

2 Aug 2012

Around 1.4 million of Americans with celiac disease are unaware of it

Roughly 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease, but around 1.4 million of them are unaware that they have it, a Mayo Clinic-led analysis of the condition's prevalence has found.

1 Aug 2012

Freiburg scientist receives ERC Starting Grant for NutrImmune project

The microbiologist and immunologist Prof. Dr. Andreas Diefenbach, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Freiburg Medical Centre, has been awarded a European Research Council "Starting Grant" for his project "NutrImmune". The ERC Starting Grant is one of Europe's most prestigious grants for young investigators.

1 Aug 2012

Flap design affects recovery from wisdom tooth surgery

The design of the mucoperiosteal flap created during surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars can affect patient recovery, show study findings.

31 Jul 2012

Enoxaparin prevents PVT in advanced cirrhosis

Enoxaparin significantly reduces portal vein thrombosis and increases overall survival in patients with advanced cirrhosis, the results of an Italian study show.

30 Jul 2012

Antioxidants and pancreatic cancer risk: an interview with Dr Andrew Hart

The antioxidants that we mainly looked at were selenium, vitamin C and vitamin E. They are chemicals which inactivate pro-oxidants or free radicals. Smoking and normal metabolism can lead to the production of free radicals.

30 Jul 2012

Takeda, Sucampo file AMITIZA sNDA with FDA for treatment of opioid-induced constipation

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A. Inc. today announced the filing of a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for a new indication for AMITIZA (lubiprostone) for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients with chronic, non-cancer pain.

26 Jul 2012

Vitamin B12 supplements and hepatitis C treatment: an interview with Gerardo Nardone and Alba Rocco

Since its discovery in 1989, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been recognized as a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The most recent WHO estimate of the prevalence of HCV infection is 2%, representing . about 150 million people. Every year, 3–4 million new people are infected with the hepatitis C virus, of those, approximately 60–80% develop chronic hepatitis, and 30% of them progress to cirrhosis and to end-stage liver disease.

26 Jul 2012