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8 highlights in GI: Alzheimer’s, exercise, obesity and autism
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June has proven to be a month of hot topics in gastroenterology news, with significant advances in therapeutics, disease prevention and the microbiome. The latest studies brought a renewed focus on how the gastrointestinal tract affects everything from metabolism to the brain and how outside factors such as exercise can impact GI symptoms.
To keep you on top of the latest developments in the field, the editors of Healio Gastroenterology have compiled a list of our 8 most popular stories this month.
1. Study finds no link between PPIs, dementia, Alzheimer’s risk
In contrast to two previous studies, new research shows no evidence of an association between the use of proton pump inhibitors and the risk for mild cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Read more
2. Too much exercise can cause acute, chronic GI issues
As exercise intensity and duration increases, so do markers of impaired gut integrity and function, which could lead to a condition investigators called “exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome.” Read more
3. Prebiotic fiber supplement reduces body fat in overweight children by altering gut microbiome
Overweight and obese children had significant reductions in body fat after taking a prebiotic fiber supplement in a randomized controlled trial. Read more
4. Bacteria that invade colon lining linked to metabolic syndrome, diabetes
Microbiota that invade the normally sterile inner colonic mucus layer correlate with the development of metabolic disease in humans, especially type 2 diabetes, according to new research. Read more
5. Nexvax2 alters immune response to gluten in patients with celiac disease
Nexvax2, an investigational therapeutic vaccine designed to protect patients with celiac disease against the effects of gluten exposure, was safe and well tolerated, and demonstrated a modified immune response to gluten in two phase 1 randomized controlled trials. Read more
6. Early surgery improves outcomes in acute ulcerative colitis
Postoperative complications and longer hospital stays were more common in patients with acute ulcerative colitis for whom surgery was delayed, according to retrospective study data presented at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting. Read more
7. IBD patients with certain clinical, serological, genetic markers more likely to respond poorly to anti-TNFs
Primary nonresponse to anti-TNF therapy was more likely in patients with inflammatory bowel disease with certain clinical, serologic and genetic markers, according to new research. These predictors could be used to help personalize IBD management. Read more
8. Gut microbiome therapies show promise for treating autism
Therapies that target the gut microbiome through diet, prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics or fecal microbiota transplantation could effectively treat autism spectrum disorders, but finding a “cheap and effective treatment” requires better designed and larger studies, according to researchers who reviewed more than 150 studies published since the 1960s. Read more