Latest Gastroenterology Stories
Use of the botanical product silymarin, an extract of milk thistle that is commonly used by some patients with chronic liver disease, did not provide greater benefit than placebo for patients with treatment-resistant chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to a study in the July 18 issue of JAMA. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection affects almost 3 percent of the global population and may lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. A large proportion of patients do not...
The Rottenstein Law Group, which represents clients with claims stemming from the severe side effects of the drug Fosamax, has learned that researchers have found a link between the drug and cancer of the esophagus. New York (PRWEB) July 17, 2012 A study recently presented to the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting concludes that the drug alendronate—sold under the brand name Fosamax—is likely linked to cancer of the esophagus. According to the study’s...
PARSIPPANY, N.J., July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. approval to market PREPOPIK (sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide, and anhydrous citric acid) for oral solution indicated for cleansing of the colon as a preparation for colonoscopy in adults. PREPOPIK is a low-volume, orange-flavored, dual-acting, stimulant and osmotic laxative. The FDA approval is based on data from two pivotal Phase III non-inferiority...
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Xlumena, Inc. announces that it has received CE Mark approval to market its AXIOS Stent and Delivery System for biliary tract drainage. The device was previously approved for the treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts. The enhanced indication gives endoscopists a new minimally-invasive tool to create a secure connection between the gallbladder or bile duct and the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical research is showing that treatment...
The findings of the study published in July 2012 on The American Journal of Gastroenterology, revealed a 65% increase in the incidence of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) among users of PPIs (Proton Pump Inhibitors), including Nexium. Nexium, manufactured by AstraZeneca, is a medication that people take to prevent on-going heartburn. In February 2012, the US FDA issued a drug safety communication notifying the public that the use of stomach acid drugs known as proton pump...
HORSHAM, Pa. and LEIDEN, Netherlands, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Janssen Biologics B.V. announced today the submission of a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a Type II Variation to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) requesting approval of SIMPONI® (golimumab) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who have had an inadequate response...
Scientists have long known that the body rids itself of excess copper and various other minerals by collecting them in the liver and excreting them through the liver’s bile. However, a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers and published June 22 in PLoS One suggests that when this route is impaired there’s another exit route just for copper: A molecule sequesters only that mineral and routes it from the body through urine. The researchers, led by Svetlana Lutsenko, Ph.D., a...
A new study has determined how often people should get screened for gastric or stomach cancer in high-risk regions of the world. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings could help reduce deaths from gastric cancer, which is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality. Although the incidence of gastric cancer has decreased substantially in the western part of the world, the disease is still common in areas such as...
Tobacco in cigarettes may lower immune system response in transplant recipients Transplant recipients who smoke or have smoked increase their risk of viral hepatitis reinfection following liver transplantation according to new research available in the July issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Findings suggest that tobacco in cigarettes may adversely affect immune system response in patients...
Researchers from Spain established that liver stiffness, measured by transient elastography (TE), is an independent predictor of liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mortality in cirrhotic patients coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Findings available in the July issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases,...
Latest Gastroenterology Reference Libraries
The small intestine is the part of the digestive tract that follows the stomach and is followed by the large intestine. Formation and Orientation The small intestine is on average between 22 feet 6 inches and 24 feet 4 inches. It is composed of three distinct structural parts; the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. The duodenum is the part of the intestine where most chemical breakdown happens; it is also the shortest part of the intestine. It starts at the duodenal bulb and stops...
The stomach is the hollow organ that helps along digestion after mastication (chewing). It is the next step after the esophagus and before the small intestines. Formation and Orientation The stomach is composed of four parts. The cardia is the first part of the stomach in the digestive tract. It is the part of the stomach that allows the food to empty from the esophagus. The most northern part of the stomach is the Fundus. This section is the part that creates the curved part of the...
The esophagogastroduodenoscopy is a medical diagnostic procedure used in internal medicine to view the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. This non-invasive procedure is used for many complaints and requires little to no time for recovery from the procedure. Reasons for the Procedure Patients present to their physician with physical complaints. For example, a patient may come into the office and say they have been feeling tired and forgetful. Through many tests and evaluations,...
The Esophagus is an organ which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels to the stomach via peristalsis -- a radially symmetrical contraction and relaxation of muscles that propagate in a wave downward. The word esophagus is derived from the Greek word oisophagos, meaning “entrance for eating.” In humans the esophagus is continuous with the...
Paneth Cells are one of four principal cell types found in the epithelium of the small intestine; the other three are the goblet cell, enterocyte, and enteroendocrine cell. Paneth cells may also be found in the cecum and appendix, although sporadically. These cells are identifiable microscopically by their location just below the intestinal stem cells in the intestinal glands. and the large eosinophilic refractile granules that occupy most of their cytoplasm. These granules consist of...
