Gastrointestinal System

How to get rid of gallstones without surgery

The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D. Posted: 26 Jan 2014 11:42 PM PST Full Story One of the first patients I saw as a medical student was a nice lady, who presented to the university hospital outpatient clinic with colicky, cramping abdominal pain. She described the pain as coming on after a meal, and […]

How to Cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a Few Days – VIDEO

by Mark Hyman, MD Full Story This week’s question is, “I have irritable bowel syndrome. What do I do about it? What causes it? How do I fix my leaky gut? Do I take drugs?” Irritable bowel syndrome is a huge problem that affects almost 50 million Americans or almost one of every six people. […]

The relationship between incontinence, breathing disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms, and back pain in women

A longitudinal cohort study Smith MD, et al. Clin J Pain. 2014 Feb;30(2):162-7. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0b013e31828b10fe. Abstract OBJECTIVES: Recent studies suggest a relationship between incontinence, respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and back pain (BP). However, causality is difficult to infer. This longitudinal study aimed to determine whether the presence or development of one disorder increases risk […]

Popular IBD Diet Associated With Increased Microbial Diversity

JANUARY 22, 2014 by David Wild San Diego—The specific carbohydrate diet (SCD), popular among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is associated with distinct changes in the intestinal microbiome, researchers at Rush University have found. The trademarked SCD, as described by Elaine Gottschall, MSc, in her book, “Breaking the Vicious Cycle” (The Kirkton Press; 2012), […]

Gut Microbiota and Type 2 Diabetes

01/21/2014 Story Source Brett Moskowitz, MA Reviewed By Clifton Jackness, MD, Attending Physician in Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital and the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY Take Note The relationship between gut microbiota and type 2 diabetes risk is under investigation. Accumulating evidence suggests that it is important to characterize the […]

Hip Fractures Increase With Chronic Intestinal Damage in Celiac Disease

Fran Lowry January 17, 2014 Full Story (may require free registration): http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/819382 Chronic damage in the small intestine is a risk factor for hip fracture in patients with celiac disease (CD), according to a cohort study published online January 16 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. “[CD] is associated with an increased fracture risk, […]

A Diet Low in FODMAPs Reduces Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Gastroenterology 2014 Jan 01;146(1)67-75.e5, EP Halmos, VA Power, SJ Shepherd, PR Gibson, JG Muir Research · January 16, 2014 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE IBS patients had fewer symptoms when on a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs). The authors feel that this evidence supports the use of FODMAPs as first-line therapy for IBS. […]

Nausea and Vomiting: What CAM Options Are Viable?

Désirée A. Lie, MD, MSEd January 14, 2014 What Would You Do? Case 1: Morning Sickness Vicky is a 25-year-old primiparous woman in her 11th week of a normal pregnancy. She is experiencing excessive nausea and vomiting that is unrelieved by taking small frequent meals and eating crackers upon waking. Ultrasonography confirms a singleton pregnancy, […]

Mechanisms of Obesity-Induced Gastrointestinal Neoplasia

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Obesity is a growing problem worldwide and is associated with increased risk of multiple cancers. This review examines the mechanisms behind obesity-induced neoplasia. – Richard Bambury, MD ABSTRACT Obesity is among the fastest growing diseases worldwide; treatment is inadequate and associated disorders, including gastrointestinal cancers, have high morbidity and mortality. An increased understanding […]

Peanuts, Tree Nuts During Pregnancy May Lower Kids’ Risks

Larry Hand December 23, 2013 Children may have a significantly lower risk for peanut or tree nut allergy if their nonallergenic mothers ate peanuts or tree nuts at least 5 times a week in peripregnancy, according to an article published online December 23 in JAMA Pediatrics. The study results support current guidelines for maternal diets. […]

Diagnosis and Management of Clostridium difficile Infection

Herbert L. Dupont Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(10):1216-1223. Abstract Clostridium difficileinfection (CDI) is increasing in frequency and severity in and out of the hospital, with a high probability of recurrence after treatment. The recent literature on CDI was reviewed using PubMed to include recent publications dealing with diagnosis and therapy. Real-time polymerase chain reaction is a […]

Coffee Consumption, the Metabolic Syndrome and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

A. Yesil, Y. Yilmaz Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013;38(9):1038-1044. Abstract Background Coffee consumption may modulate the risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Aim To review the experimental, epidemiological and clinical studies investigating the association between coffee consumption and the risk of MetS and NAFLD. Methods A literature search was conducted […]

Your Microbiome and You: What Clinicians Need to Know – Slide Show

Scott Peterson, PhD December 20, 2013 Link To Slide Show

Muscle Cramps in Liver Disease

Mehta SS, Fallon MB Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11:1385-1391 Abstract Muscle Cramps and Cirrhosis Muscle cramps are common in liver disease, especially in patients with cirrhosis. Although the reported prevalence of muscle cramps in patients with liver disease (in particular, cirrhosis) ranges from 22% to 88%, the association is not well recognized by clinicians, nor is […]

Want to Fight Allergies? Get a Dirty Dog

ELIZABETH PENNISI Science Now 16 December 2013 3:00 pm Full Story:  http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2013/12/want-fight-allergies-get-dirty-dog Journal Reference:  http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/12/13/1310750111 A dog in the house is more than just good company. There’s increasing evidence that exposure to dogs and livestock early in life can lessen the chances of infants later developing allergies and asthma. Now, researchers have traced this beneficial […]

Benefits of acupuncture for diabetic gastroparesis: a comparative preliminary study

Danielli Miller N, et al. Acupunct Med. 2013 Dec 9. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2013-010465. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract OBJECTIVES: The aim of this preliminary study was to compare the effectiveness of domperidone and acupuncture for the management of diabetic gastroparesis. METHODS: This was a preliminary, prospective non-randomised, unblinded case-crossover study conducted in patients with longstanding, uncontrolled […]

Remarkable prevalence of coeliac disease in patients with irritable bowel syndrome plus fibromyalgia in comparison with those with isolated irritable bowel syndrome

Remarkable prevalence of coeliac disease in patients with irritable bowel syndrome plus fibromyalgia in comparison with those with isolated irritable bowel syndrome: a case-finding study Luis Rodrigo Arthritis Research & Therapy Volume 15, Issue 6 Abstract Introduction Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are two common central sensitization disorders frequently associated in the […]

Degree of bone marrow oedema in sacroiliac joints of patients with axial spondyloarthritis is linked to gut inflammation and male sex

Ann Rheum Dis. 2014 Jun;73(6):1186-9. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-203854. Epub 2013 Nov 25. Degree of bone marrow oedema in sacroiliac joints of patients with axial spondyloarthritis is linked to gut inflammation and male sex: results from the GIANT cohort. Van Praet L1, Jans L, Carron P, Jacques P, Glorieus E, Colman R, Cypers H, Mielants H, De […]

High IgG Signals Autoimmunity in Kids

Published: Nov 11, 2013 | Updated: Nov 12, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/GeneralRheumatology/42844 Action Points In pediatric patients, hypergammaglobulinemia was most commonly associated with autoimmune diseases. In female patients with hypergammaglobulinemia, the presence of leukopenia, anemia, and normal CRP was highly predictive of underlying autoimmune disease. High levels of […]

Tracing Rheumatoid Arthritis to Bugs in the Gut?

Published: Nov 8, 2013 | Updated: Nov 8, 2013 By Nancy Walsh, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story:  http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/42799 Action Points The study found that the presence of Prevotella copri in stool samples strongly correlated with disease in new-onset untreated rheumatoid arthritis patients. The increases in Prevotella abundance correlated with a reduction in Bacteroides and a loss of reportedly beneficial microbes […]