Ulcerative Colitis

Although small-bowel capsule endoscopy is often used to evaluate unexplained abdominal pain, a new analysis has found the procedure's diagnostic yield is limited.

Prebiotics and probiotics have been discussed frequently in the media for supposedly improving overall health, especially diseases related to the gut. However, the evidence on the efficacy and use of these dietary supplements is rather complicated.

Though constipation as a side effect of opioid therapy is generally considered a tolerability issue that can be treated with over-the-counter laxatives, opioid-induced constipation may still lead to serious gastrointestinal complications.

Postoperative surgical site infection is exceedingly rare after hemorrhoidectomy, and routine antibiotic prophylaxis seems to be unnecessary.

Genetics, diet, past trauma, and anxiety have all been thought to play a role in the cause of irritable bowel syndrome, but new research has found a clue to the disease.

Aggressive medical therapy might be more closely linked to mortality and malignancy in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease than the condition itself, according to a new study.

Primary prevention measures for upper GI bleeding should include NSAIDs, antiplatelet therapy, and anticoagulants appropriately, while secondary preventive measures should include testing and treating H. pylori and using long-term PPIs when appropriate.

Steven P. Levine, MD, says the implications of altering the microbiome may extend beyond C. difficile to mental health, given the new insight into the connection between the gut and mind.

In a clinical review published in Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology, researchers from Iwate Medical University in Japan evaluated the long-term safety and efficacy of the novel serotonin-receptor agonist ramosetron in patients suffering from diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).

Study shows gluten alters bowel functions in patients with IBS-D and that removal of gluten from the diet may reduce the frequency of bowel movements.

Recognizing that melatonin secretion from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract improves abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but decreases with age, Polish researchers from the Medical University of Lodz aimed to define the effect of administering melatonin in postmenopausal women with different predominating IBS symptoms.

A high-potency probiotic supplement that mimics the effect of morphine in the gut may reduce the development of visceral pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Researchers claim that restricting dietary intake of fermentable short-chain carbohydrates improves GI symptoms in patients with IBS.

The stigma attached to chronic diseases such as IBS has been shown to negatively affect patients' self-image and sense of worth, leading to worse outcomes. Being aware of this and working to counteract the psychological effects of stigma can improve the patient-physician relationship and lead to better outcomes.

Data show that prevalence of concurrent IBS is actually higher in younger patients with OAB.

Several studies recently have looked at the relationship between irritable bowel syndrome and increased pain sensitivity.

Study shows subtype of human stem cells can survive in the intestine and help replenish inflamed or damaged tissue.

Study results show patients with IBS who drink four or more alcoholic drinks in one day may be more likely to experience diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, and indigestion the next day.

Linzess (linaclotide capsules) was approved in August 2012 by the FDA as a once-daily treatment for adult men and women suffering from irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) or chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC).

Women with endometriosis are much more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease than women without the reproductive disorder.

The primary endpoints have been met in a clinical trial of a drug for patients suffering from ulcerative colitis.

Trial of mindfulness training as an intervention for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) demonstrates substantial therapeutic impact on bowel symptom severity.

Lactobacillus acidophilus mobilizes messenger immune cells, enhancing production of functional immune cells, calming the auto-immune attack on the intestine.

Researchers have uncovered an antibiotic therapy that provides continuing relief for IBS for up to 10 weeks, according to a study in NEJM.

Issues of health literacy and numeracy come into play when identifying the best strategies for explaining the risk associated with treatments for IBD.