Home Gastroenterology August 2019 Briefing – Gastroenterology

August 2019 Briefing – Gastroenterology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for August 2019. 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.

Costs of Reusable Colonoscopes Vary Based on Center Volume

FRIDAY, Aug. 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The cost per colonoscopy, including purchase, maintenance, and reprocessing costs, varies from $188.64 to $501.16, with higher costs at low-volume centers, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in Gut.

FDA Reports Rare Cases of Liver Injury, Failure With Hep C Therapies

THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received reports of rare cases of worsening liver function or liver failure in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) who had moderate-to-severe liver impairment and were treated with Mavyret, Zepatier, or Vosevi, despite these drugs being contraindicated in this group of patients, the agency reported yesterday.

Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors May Up Pancreatic Disease Risk

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) is associated with increased risks for pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in Diabetes Care.

Physical Activity, Overall Survival Not Linked in Metastatic CRC

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 28, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with advanced/metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), greater total physical activity is not associated with longer overall survival, but it may prolong progression-free survival and lower the risk for treatment-related toxicities, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

USPSTF Advises Broader Age Range for Hep C Screening

TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection screening for individuals aged 18 to 79 years. These recommendations form the basis of a draft recommendation statement published online Aug. 27 by the USPSTF.

Draft Recommendation Statement
Draft Evidence Review
Comment on Recommendations

Liraglutide Ups Risk for Gallbladder, Biliary Tract Events

MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is an increased risk for gallbladder- or biliary tract-related events among patients with type 2 diabetes taking liraglutide versus placebo, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in Diabetes Care.

Changes to Rectus Muscles From Pregnancy May Impact Abdominoplasty

MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Pregnancy alters the shape of the rectus abdominis muscle, which may in turn affect abdominoplasty outcomes, according to a study published in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Radiologists Performing More Paracenteses, Thoracenteses

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The proportion of paracentesis and thoracentesis procedures performed by radiologists is continuing to increase, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

Prevalence of Celiac Disease High in First-Degree Relatives

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of celiac disease is higher among screened first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with celiac disease, according to a study published online Aug. 22 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Type 2 Diabetes Risk Up With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

THURSDAY, Aug. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Oral Antibiotic Use Linked to Risk for Colorectal Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Oral antibiotic use is associated with an increased risk for colon cancer and a reduced risk for rectal cancer, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in Gut.

Odds of Developing C. Diff Increased in Older Cancer Patients

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Older adults with cancer have increased odds of developing Clostridiodes difficile infection (CDI), according to a study published in the September issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DAAs Cut Deaths in Those Treated for HCV-Related Liver Cancer

TUESDAY, Aug. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and complete response to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment, direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is associated with a significant reduction in the risk for death, according to a study published online July 30 in Gastroenterology.

Lipophilic Statins May Cut Liver Cancer in Chronic Viral Hepatitis

TUESDAY, Aug. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Lipophilic statin use is associated with significantly reduced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence and mortality in adults with chronic viral hepatitis, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Childhood-Onset IBD Ups Risk for Psychiatric Morbidity

TUESDAY, Aug. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increased risk for psychiatric morbidity, including suicide attempt, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Certain Dietary Supplements Tied to Dysphagia, Choking in Seniors

TUESDAY, Aug. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Most reports of swallowing problems caused by dietary supplements involve seniors taking multivitamins or calcium supplements, according to a research letter published online Aug. 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Mechanical, Oral Antibiotic Bowel Prep Yields No Benefit for Colectomy

MONDAY, Aug. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Mechanical and oral antibiotic bowel preparation (MOABP) does not reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) or the overall morbidity of colon surgery versus no bowel preparation (NBP), according to a study published online Aug. 8 in The Lancet.

GERD Associated With Chronic Temporomandibular Disorder

MONDAY, Aug. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is associated with chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and the correlation is partially mediated by somatization, anxiety, and undermined sleep, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

Advertising Can Promote Interest in Health-Related Research

THURSDAY, Aug. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Advertising current local health-related research using large TV monitors in emergency department waiting rooms can increase the short-term interest in health-related research, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in BMJ Open.

Burden of Obesity-Associated Cancers Shifted to Younger Age Groups

THURSDAY, Aug. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2000 to 2016, there was a shift of the obesity-associated cancer (OAC) burden to younger age groups, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in JAMA Network Open.

Gluten Intake, Celiac Disease Linked in Genetically Predisposed

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For children at increased risk, increased gluten intake during the first five years of life is associated with an elevated incidence of celiac disease autoimmunity and celiac disease, according to a study published in the Aug. 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

CDC: Prescription Drug Use Similar in United States, Canada

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Use of prescription drugs is similar in the United States and Canada, with almost 70 percent of adults aged 40 to 79 years using at least one prescription drug, according to an August data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.

Non-Hospital-Based Provider-to-Patient Telehealth Use Growing

TUESDAY, Aug. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Use of non-hospital-based provider-to-patient telehealth grew almost 1,400-fold from 2014 to 2018, according to a FAIR Health White Paper.

Coffee May Speed Up Recovery of Function After Bowel Surgery

TUESDAY, Aug. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The time to first postoperative bowel movement after elective laparoscopic colorectal resection is shorter in those drinking coffee versus noncaffeinated tea, according to a study published in the August issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.

One-Third of Physicians Will Take 10+ Years to Pay Off Debt

MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Nearly two-thirds of actively practicing physicians are still carrying medical school debt, according to the Medical School Debt Report 2019, published by the staffing firm Weatherby Healthcare.

Medical School Debt Report 2019

Aspirin May Improve Liver Function After Embolization of HCC

MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Aspirin therapy can improve liver function and survival in patients who have received chemoembolization or transarterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Worse Cancer Outcomes for Elderly HIV-Infected Patients

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Elderly HIV-infected patients with cancer have worse outcomes than HIV-uninfected patients with cancer, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in JAMA Oncology.

Ulcerative Colitis Outcomes Similar for Smokers, Nonsmokers

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Smokers and nonsmokers with ulcerative colitis (UC) have similar outcomes, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Delayed/Foregone Care More Likely for Cancer Survivors With HDHPs

FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Cancer survivors with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) are more likely to experience delayed or foregone care, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in the Journal of Oncology Practice.

Younger CRC Patients More Likely to Present With Abdominal Pain

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Younger patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to present with abdominal pain and via an emergency, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in Colorectal Disease.

Fluoride Exposure Tied to Kidney, Liver Function Changes in Youth

THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among U.S. adolescents, fluoride exposure is associated with changes in kidney and liver-related parameters, according to a study published online Aug. 8 in the Environment International.

Some Cancer Trends Differ for Oldest Old in the United States

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Some cancer trends differ for U.S. patients aged 85 years and older, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Medicare Spending on Essential Medicines Up 116 Percent From 2011 to 2015

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Spending associated with essential medicines grew substantially from 2011 to 2015 for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, according to a study published online July 17 in The BMJ.

Common Therapy for Obstetric Cholestasis Found Ineffective

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid does not reduce adverse perinatal outcomes, according to a study published online Aug. 1 in The Lancet.

USPSTF Reaffirms Recs Against Screening for Pancreatic Cancer

TUESDAY, Aug. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against screening for pancreatic adenocarcinoma as the potential benefits do not outweigh the potential harms. These recommendations form the basis of a final recommendation statement published in the Aug. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Recommendation Statement
Evidence Report
Editorial 1
Editorial 2

Ranking for Abdominal Surgeries Not Linked to Patient Outcomes

TUESDAY, Aug. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patient outcomes may not be better at top-ranked hospitals for common advanced laparoscopic abdominal operations, according to a study published online July 31 in JAMA Surgery.

Brand-Brand Competition Has Not Cut Prices in Pharma Market

FRIDAY, Aug. 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Brand-brand competition in the U.S. pharmaceutical market has not lowered drug list prices, according to a review published online July 30 in PLOS Medicine.

Trump Admin Announces Plan to Allow Drug Imports From Canada

THURSDAY, Aug. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Americans could import less expensive prescription drugs from Canada under a plan being developed by the Trump administration.

HHS Press Release
PhRMA Statement

Many Hospitals Lack Sufficient Surgery Volumes

THURSDAY, Aug. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patients can achieve better outcomes by choosing a hospital and a surgeon with adequate, ongoing experience performing a specific surgery, according to a new report entitled Safety In Numbers: The Leapfrog Group’s Report on High-Risk Surgeries Performed at American Hospitals.

Inpatient Surgery Report 2019

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