Gastroenterology

Enjoying a nice steak dinner may actually take a toll on the kidneys, increasing people’s risk for kidney disease, or failure.

It has become increasingly common for patients having experienced as few as three episodes of diverticulitis to opt for colectomy. A study examines the efficacy of younger, less frequent sufferers receiving the surgery earlier than guidelines typically recommend.

While many physicians recommend weight loss in advance of bariatric surgery, and many insurance provides require it, a wide-ranging study suggests that the benefits of such preparatory dieting may actually be negligible.

California delegation staff attending the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OH have been struck by an outbreak of norovirus. The jokes were inevitable.

The FDA has approved UltraShape Power (Syneron Medical Ltd) for non-invasive reduction of abdominal circumference through fat cell destruction.

Patients afflicted with ulcerative colitis (UC) that practiced hatha yoga – a practice of physical yoga postures – for a 12-week period noticed a significant decline in their disease activity.

The regulator placed a clinical hold on human trials involving a new investigational hepatitis C drug that targets microRNA following a report of jaundice by someone enrolled in a study.

Approximately 60% of physicians in the US will be sued for malpractice, research and statistics have found.

Pasta, the fan favorite comfort food and date night dish has often been associated with high calories, so much so health experts have limited pasta consumption in fad diets.

Before treating that awful heartburn or upset stomach, think twice about that remedy of choice.

Tonsillectomies have typically been considered to be one of the surgical procedures younger patients often irrationally fear.

Over-the-counter diarrhea drug loperamide (Imodium/Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.) has recently been in the news because opioid abusers have been using it to self-treat symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Others abuse it for its euphoric properties.

As obesity becomes a growing problem, doctors are turning to weight loss surgeries to help their patients return to a healthy quality of life. Work is being done to make these procedures as non-invasive as possible to help with the recovery and postoperative times.

The overwhelming experience of preparing for colonoscopies may no longer have to be tolerated on an empty stomach.

Could a special type of intestinal cell be at the root of inflammatory bowel disease? Researchers from Rutgers University Newark (RU N) believed so, and wanted to determine how to alter the cells’ behavior to eliminate the disease.

The pharmaceutical company Shire won a patent trial concerning mesalamine (Lialda), an ulcerative colitis drug, according to a company press release.

Patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) should be aware that using the drug mitoxantrone (Novantrone/ Pfizer, Teva) could increase their risk for colorectal cancer.

Previously associated primarily with assessing blood alcohol level, breath tests can now aid in accurately distinguishing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Celiac disease prevalence is highest among US patients originally from the Punjab region of India, according to new research published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Researchers in Italy found that some patients who are successfully treated for the hepatitis C virus tend to live as long as others in the general population not infected with the disease.

Researchers assessed the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma among patients who have been cured of the hepatitis C virus.

In their search for alternatives to opioid painkillers like Oxycontin and Vicodin, addicts are turning to the over-the-counter anti-diarrhea drug Imodium to get their fix.

Anorexia nervosa, chronic fatigue syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might not be the typical threesome, but these three conditions do share a common origin.

A recent study in the United Kingdom looked at the 6-month outcomes of those with hepatitis C cirrhosis on antiviral treatment.

Work being done to treat and cure hepatitis C today could make it almost a non-issue for future generations, thanks to groups like the World Health Organization (WHO) and others putting the focus on parts of the world that need help in this area the most.