Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for April 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Meeting Organizers Overlooking Qualified Female Scientists
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Invited speakers at medical conferences tend to be disproportionately male, a disparity that can be addressed by actively preparing lists of potential speakers, according to a study published online April 18 in Nature Immunology.
Distinct Bacterial Taxa in ME/CSF Subgroups With/Without IBS
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Distinct bacterial taxa are seen in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) subgroups, defined by the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a study published online April 27 in Microbiome.
Routine Blood Tests Can Harm Patient Care
FRIDAY, April 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Routine blood tests waste money and can damage patient care, according to an opinion piece published online April 27 in the BMJ.
Risk Factors in Six Areas Tied to Physician Burnout
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physician burnout factors include control, whether there is time to deliver excellent care, and whether the workplace is fair, according to a presentation at the Medical Group Management Association/American Medical Association 2017 Collaborate in Practice Conference, held April 9 to 11 in Chicago.
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Regorafenib Approved for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the kinase inhibitor regorafenib (Stivarga) has been expanded to include hepatocellular carcinoma, the agency said Thursday in a news release.
Single-Payer Health System Bill Moves Forward in California
THURSDAY, April 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A proposal to replace private insurance with government-funded health care for all moved forward in California on Wednesday as Democrats on the Senate Health Committee voted to advance the measure.
Fatal Case of Suspected Propofol-Induced Pancreatitis Described
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A fatal case of propofol-induced acute necrotizing pancreatitis has been described in a case report published online April 10 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Postbiotic Could Lower Glucose, Inflammation in Obesity
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The bacterial cell wall-derived muramyl dipeptide (MDP) postbiotic lowers adipose inflammation and reduces glucose intolerance in obese mice, according to an experimental study published online April 20 in Cell Metabolism.
Waiting 10 Months for Colonoscopy May Raise CRC Risk
TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Follow-up colonoscopy after 10 months is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and advanced-stage disease among patients with a positive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result, according to a study published online April 25 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
HBV Reactivation Is Concern With DAA Tx in HBV-HCV Coinfection
TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation (HBV-R) is a safety concern for patients with HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection receiving direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), according to a study published online April 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Gut Bacteria May Convert Choline Into Clot-Enhancing Compound
TUESDAY, April 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Consuming excess choline raises levels of the bacteria-produced compound trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and increases the tendency of platelets to clump together and form clots, according to a study published online April 24 in Circulation.
Potential Benefits, Risks of OpenNotes Discussed
WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The benefits of sharing notes with patients include improved patient engagement and empowerment, while potential risks may include more phone calls, questions, and increased documentation time, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Pre-Pregnancy Bariatric Surgery Ups Risk of Abdominal Surgery
TUESDAY, April 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Bariatric surgery is associated with an increased risk of abdominal surgery during subsequent pregnancy, according to a study published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Doctors Need to Be Mindful of What They Post on Social Media
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Young doctors often have unprofessional or offensive content on their Facebook profiles, according to a study published online April 9 in BJU International.
ASCO Updates Recs on Potentially Curable Pancreatic Cancer
MONDAY, April 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Guidelines relating to the appropriate adjuvant regimen for patients with pancreatic cancer have been updated in light of new evidence, according to a special article published online April 11 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
CDC: Hospitalization Rates Stabilizing for Crohn’s Disease
FRIDAY, April 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Fewer Americans with Crohn’s disease are being hospitalized than in the past, according to research published in the April 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Cancer Occurrence Differs Among African-Born, U.S.-Born Blacks
THURSDAY, April 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Cancer rates differ between African- and U.S.-born black Americans, with cancer rates varying by region of birth in Africa, according to a study published online April 13 in Cancer.
Barrett’s With Irregular Z Line Unlikely to Progress Quickly
WEDNESDAY, April 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is a low risk of development of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) among patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE) of <1 cm (irregular Z line) within five years of index endoscopy, according to a study published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.
Asymptomatic C. difficile Ups Risk for Other Hospital Patients
TUESDAY, April 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in hospitals increase infection risk in other patients, according to a study published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.
Direct-Acting Antivirals Approved for Children 12+ With HCV
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved two drugs to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in children aged 12 and older.
Integrated E-Prescribing Can Cut Prescribing, Dispensing Errors
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — An integrated electronic medication prescribing (e-prescribing) and dispensing system can reduce prescribing and dispensing errors, according to a study published online March 30 in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.
Lower Risk of Gastrointestinal Bleeding for Apixaban
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients receiving direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) agents for non-valvular atrial fibrillation, apixaban is associated with a lower risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding than rivaroxaban or dabigatran, according to a study published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.
Surgery May Not Be Necessary in Acute Biliary Pancreatitis
MONDAY, April 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Immediate cholecystectomy may not always be necessary for patients with acute biliary pancreatitis, according to research published in the March issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
MACRA Changes Government Approach to Doctor Payment
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) has made fundamental changes to the government’s approach to physician payment, according to a March 27 policy brief published in Health Affairs.
Intestinal Reovirus Infection May Be Cause of Celiac Disease
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A common human intestinal reovirus may trigger some cases of celiac disease, according to a study published in the April 7 issue of Science.
FDA OKs Marketing of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Risk Tests
FRIDAY, April 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first home genetic tests for 10 diseases or conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and late-onset Alzheimer’s.
Risk Adjustment, Reinsurance Transfer Offer Financial Benefit
THURSDAY, April 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Risk adjustment and reinsurance transfer programs seem to have been effective for increasing revenues at the expense of claims costs, according to research published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
Rates of Colorectal CA Screening Lower for Adults With Disabilities
THURSDAY, April 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — American adults with disabilities have lower colorectal cancer screening rates than other adults, according to a study published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Long-Term Antibiotic Use May Up Risk of Colorectal Adenomas
WEDNESDAY, April 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Taking antibiotics for an extended period in early to middle adulthood might increase risk for colorectal adenomas, according to a report published online April 4 in Gut.
Second Opinion Yields Different Diagnosis for 1 in 5 Patients
WEDNESDAY, April 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — One-fifth of patients who sought a second opinion recently at a single academic medical center had received a different diagnosis from their primary care providers, according to a study published online April 4 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Doctors Must Be Wary of HIPAA Violations With Online Reviews
TUESDAY, April 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physicians should be aware that responding to a negative health care review could potentially expose personal medical information, resulting in a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violation, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Protein Expression Predicts Rectal Cancer Outcomes
TUESDAY, April 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Loss of E-cadherin protein expression in the pretherapeutic biopsy of rectal cancer is associated with fewer metastases and improved survival, according to a study published online March 25 in the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
Variation in Occupational Influenza Vaccination Coverage
TUESDAY, April 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is variation in influenza vaccination coverage by industry and occupation, including among health care personnel and other occupational groups who may have first priority to receive influenza vaccination during a pandemic (tier 1), according to a study published in the April 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Use of Health Literacy Tools Can Promote Shared Decision Making
MONDAY, April 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Use of health literacy tools is encouraged for facilitating shared decision making (SDM), according to an article published in the March issue of the AMA Journal of Ethics.
Bidirectional Link for Anorexia Nervosa, Celiac Disease
MONDAY, April 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is a bidirectional association between anorexia nervosa (AN) diagnosis and celiac disease (CD) in women, according to a study published online April 3 in Pediatrics.
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