Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Increased glucose level is a strong risk factor for colorectal cancer

Diabetes is a very common illness that affects more than 20 million people in the U.S. and it is estimated an additional 54 million Americans have pre-diabetes, a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

2 Nov 2007

Threshold for colectomy may be too high, warn experts

The clinical threshold for undertaking elective surgery to remove part or all of the colon (colectomy) for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be too high, warn researchers in a study published on bmj.com.

1 Nov 2007

Is it pancreatitis in acute abdominal pain in acute viral hepatitis?

Hepatitis viruses have a strong tropism for hepatocytes; viral antigen also has been detected in pancreas and gallbladder.

1 Nov 2007

ADH2 and ALDH2 are associated with esophageal cancer

As the seventh leading cause of cancer death worldwide, the occurrence of esophageal cancer varies by geographic area, ethnic group and gender.

1 Nov 2007

Clinical threshold for inflammatory bowel disease surgery may be too high

31 Oct 2007

Knowing risk can determine what kind of colon cancer screening is best

While colonoscopy has become widely used for colorectal cancer screening, nearly two-thirds of screening colonoscopies show no cancer or pre-cancerous polyps.

29 Oct 2007

Researchers find new mechanism explaining the promotional effect of H pylori on gastric cancer

The formation of a cancer is proven to be a multi-stage, multi-mechanism process by animal and human studies.

28 Oct 2007

Attenuation of NASH by stimulation of free fatty acid metabolism

Medically-complicated obesity is a societal problem that needs to be solved. Liver disease, specifically non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH, is just one of the many complications of increased body weight.

28 Oct 2007

A new source of islet cells

The shortage of islet cells limits the development of islet transplantation. One new approach was reported in the October 21 issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology because of its great significance in enhancing the output of islet cells.

25 Oct 2007

Infliximab scheduled treatment has proven to be an effective strategy in IBD patients

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic-relapsing diseases, the clinical courses of which are characterized by periods of remission and periods of acute flare up, determining clinical symptoms which have a strong impact on the quality of life for patients.

25 Oct 2007

Acute pancreatitis and cholangitis

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is generally considered to be safe with a low rate of serious complications.

25 Oct 2007

New target for Hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide. Currently, the only chance for obtaining a cure in patients with HCC is by either a surgical resection or liver transplantation.

25 Oct 2007

Amazon jungle plant compound blocks tissue destruction

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine have published in the Journal of Inflammation a remarkable discovery with a natural product derived from the Amazon rainforest.

24 Oct 2007

Potential new ways to treat ulcers

The alarming truth is more than 14.5 million people suffer from ulcers worldwide due to factors such as stress and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).

24 Oct 2007

New understanding of vagus nerve's role in regulating inflammation

It used to be dogma that the brain was shut away from the actions of the immune system, shielded from the outside forces of nature.

24 Oct 2007

Novel and accurate method for preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic solid pseudopapillary tumor

Given the difficulty regarding pancreatic biopsy procedures, a research group led by Dr. Chatzipantelis investigates the relatively novel preoperative and bloodless technique of image-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA), and explores its value in diagnosing pancreatic lesions.

24 Oct 2007

Incisionless surgery for acid reflux disease

Surgeons at the Ohio State University Medical Center have performed the first incisionless operations in the United States using a device recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to stop gastroesophageal reflux disease.

24 Oct 2007

Discovery of two genes linked to a disabling form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis

An international team of researchers led by a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center geneticist has discovered two genes linked to a disabling form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, a painful and progressive disease in which some or all of the spine's vertebrae fuse together.

22 Oct 2007

Phase II map of human genetic variation

The International HapMap Consortium today published analyses of its second-generation map of human genetic variation, which contains three times more markers than the initial version unveiled in 2005.

18 Oct 2007