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Travel to High Altitudes Tied to Crohn's, Colitis Flare-Ups

Posted 2 days 6 hours ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, May 25 – People with inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and colitis, may be at increased risk for flare-ups when they fly or travel to high altitudes for skiing or mountain climbing, a new study suggests. This complications affected patients with either Crohn's disease (which typically involves the small intestine) or ulcerative colitis (which typically involves the large intestine and rectum), but the risk appears to be higher in those with Crohn's disease, the researchers found. The study included 103 patients who were seen at inflammatory bowel disease clinics in Switzerland. The 52 patients with flares and the 51 patients who were in remission were asked about their activities during the previous month. Overall, patients with flares had made many more frequent flights or trips to areas above 6,500 feet. The study was to be presented Monday at the ... Read more

Related support groups: Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Could Compound in Artificial Sweeteners Worsen Crohn's Disease?

Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 21 – The food additive maltodextrin, commonly used in some artificial sweeteners, may worsen Crohn's disease by encouraging the growth of E. coli bacteria in the small intestine, a new study suggests. However, researchers stressed that the findings are preliminary and the tests were conducted in the lab, not in people, so it's too soon to advise those with the inflammatory bowel disease to avoid maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a white powder used in many processed foods as a thickener or a filler, including the artificial sweeteners Splenda and Equal, along with cereal, canned fruits, packaged desserts, instant pudding, sauces and salad dressings. Maltodextrin, typically derived from corn or wheat starch, is also used in some medication coatings. In the study, researchers placed Equal, Splenda and another sweetener, Stevia, in a dish along with E. coli bacteria taken from ... Read more

Related support groups: Crohn's Disease

Diagnostic Scans Tied to Radiation Risk for Gastro Patients

Posted 6 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 6 – Patients with digestive disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease may be exposed to significant levels of radiation from diagnostic imaging tests, a new study suggests. Irish researchers analyzed data from 2,590 patients with gastrointestinal disorders between 1999 and 2009, and found that 57 percent of them had undergone diagnostic imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) imaging. Higher yearly and total levels of diagnostic radiation exposure were seen in patients with such conditions as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, fatty liver disease and benign liver cysts, as well as in younger patients with irritable bowel syndrome and unexplained abdominal pain syndrome. The study appears in the April 1 online edition of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. "Our results show that significant increases in radiation exposure in the last ... Read more

Gene Mutations Linked to Crohn's Disease in Ashkenazi Jews

Posted 8 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 8 – Researchers have identified five new genetic mutations associated with Crohn's disease in Jews of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi Jews) and say their findings may help explain why Crohn's is nearly four times more prevalent in this group than in the general population. Crohn's is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes swelling and irritation in the digestive tract. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever. Previous research pinpointed 71 genetic variants associated with Crohn's disease risk in people of European ancestry. In this new study, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers compared almost 2,000 Ashkenazi Jews with Crohn's disease to another 4,500 Ashkenazi Jews without the disease. The team found 12 of the known risk variants and also discovered five new genetic risk regions on chromosomes 5q21.1, 2p15, ... Read more

Related support groups: Crohn's Disease

Kids With Crohn's Disease, Colitis Often Struggle at School: Study

Posted 17 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 17 – Children with inflammatory bowel disease may have difficulty in school due to frequent absences that are largely the result of mental struggles such as depression rather than the disease itself, a new study finds. Researchers from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, had students aged 11 to 17 years with and without inflammatory bowel disease – which generally takes the form of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis – answer questionnaires about their mental health, school functioning and quality of life. Schools provided report cards and school absence information. Children with the condition missed more days of school than healthy kids, and those who missed lots of school had lower grade point averages, according to the study. Kids with inflammatory bowel disease were also at risk of "internalizing" problems, such as depression, according to the study. ... Read more

Related support groups: Colitis, Crohn's Disease

Tropical Trip OK for Most With Crohn's, Colitis

Posted 27 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 27 – Among people with inflammatory bowel disease – a chronic intestinal disorder that commonly takes the form of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis – those who travel to developing nations or tropical locales do not have a greater risk of intestinal infections than other travelers, according to a new study. Researchers in Israel concluded that patients with inflammatory bowel disease who have not had symptoms for at least three months actually should be encouraged to travel. They noted, however, that compared with people who don't have the condition, inflammatory bowel disease patients have a greater risk for illness when visiting industrialized countries. "Inflammatory bowel disease patients are often advised to avoid travel, especially to the developing world. However, we found that the absolute risk of illness is small and most episodes were mild," the study's ... Read more

Related support groups: Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Less Common in Sunny States

Posted 12 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 12 – People who live in sunnier regions of the United States are less likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease, a new study says. The findings support previous European research and could lead to new types of treatment and preventive measures, the study authors said. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which can be extremely painful and require surgery. The causes of IBD remain largely unknown. In this study, researchers analyzed long-term data collected from 238,000 participants in the Nurses' Health Study I and the Nurses' Health Study II, which were launched in 1976 and 1989, respectively. None of the participants had inflammatory bowel disease at the start of the studies. Compared to participants who lived in northern areas of the United States, those living in southern areas were 52 percent less likely to develop ... Read more

Related support groups: Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

As Nations Develop, So May Bowel Disease

Posted 7 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Jan. 6 – Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming more common around the world, according to a new study. Researchers who analyzed data from all population-based studies about the incidence and/or prevalence of IBD found that the rate of new cases is increasing or stable in virtually every region of the world that has been studied. Canada and Europe had the highest number of cases, while Asia had a lower prevalence, the investigators found. IBD has been rare in developing nations, but incidence of the disease has increased as these countries become more industrialized, according to study lead author Dr. Gilaad Kaplan, of the University of Calgary, and colleagues. IBD includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn's involves inflammation and ulceration in the deep layers of the intestinal wall. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss and occasional ... Read more

Related support groups: Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Autoimmune Woes May Raise Risk for Lung Clots

Posted 27 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Nov. 25 – Patients hospitalized for autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease, may be at greater risk for a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, a clot in a main artery of the lung, a new study finds. Reporting online Nov. 25 in The Lancet, researchers warned that steps should be taken to prevent this condition among patients admitted to the hospital for autoimmune diseases. In conducting the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 500,000 patients admitted to the hospital in Sweden for one of 33 autoimmune diseases, which can also include Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and chronic rheumatic heart disease. The team, led by Dr. Bengt Zoller of Malmo University Hospital in Sweden, found the overall risk of pulmonary embolism in the 12 months following hospitalization to be six times higher for patients with autoimmune diseases than for ... Read more

Chronic Bowel Disease Drugs Linked to Skin Cancer Risk

Posted 23 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 – Some patients with inflammatory bowel disease may be at increased risk for skin cancer due to their use of immunosuppressant drugs to treat the intestinal disorder, according to the results of two new studies. The studies, published in the November issue of the journal Gastroenterology, noted that immunosuppressants are commonly used to treat patients with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Currently, there are no specific recommendations for skin cancer screening in IBD patients. In one study, French researchers led by Dr. Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, of University Hospital of Nancy, found that both past and present use of a widely used class of immunosuppressants called thiopurines significantly increased the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in irritable bowel disease patients. "The increased risk of skin cancer that we found in our study was observed in all patients, ... Read more

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Tied to Higher Risk of Post-Op Blood Clots

Posted 20 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Oct. 20 – Researchers report that following surgery, people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be at increased risk for blood clots known as deep vein thromboses and pulmonary embolisms. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a deep vein in the thigh or leg – it's best known as "economy-class syndrome," after cases that occurred in passengers on long-haul flights. DVTs can travel to the lungs and lead to dangerous clots there known as pulmonary embolisms (PE). "An increased risk of DVT and PE in patients with IBD has been evident for the past 75 years," co-authors Dr. Andrea Merrill of Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Frederick Millham of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, both in Boston, wrote in the study published in the Oct. 17 online edition of the journal Archives of Surgery. However, they added that "most work in this area has not looked specifically at ... Read more

Related support groups: Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

New Uses Found for Old Drugs

Posted 17 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 17 – Many drugs already approved to combat certain illnesses may also be helpful in treating a slew of other seemingly unrelated health problems, a new study indicates. Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine used computers to pair drugs with all illnesses for which they might be beneficial. They argued their findings make the case for drug repositioning – or the use of existing drugs to boost progress on the development of new treatments – for other serious conditions. One high-profile example of how a drug can be used to treat conditions for which it was not originally intended involves Viagra. This medication was first developed to treat heart problems. It turned out that Viagra is also effective in treating erectile dysfunction as well as a lung disorder called pulmonary hypertension. The researchers from Stanford, however, sought to predict ... Read more

People With Bowel Disease at Higher Risk of Blood Clot in Lungs, Legs

Posted 22 Feb 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Feb. 22 – People with inflammatory bowel disease have double the risk of developing a potentially deadly blood clot (venous thromboembolism) in the legs or lungs as do people in the general public, a new study finds. Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and other problems. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) – which includes deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and superior sagittal sinus thrombosis – affects about two in every 1,000 people a year in the United States and other developed nations. Researchers compared the number of new cases of VTE diagnosed between 1980 and 2007 in nearly 50,000 adults and children with IBD and more than 477,000 members of the general public. After they factored in known VTE risk factors such as a broken bone, cancer, surgery and ... Read more

Celiac and Crohn's Disease May Share Genetic Risk Factors

Posted 28 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Jan. 27 – Celiac disease and Crohn's disease share several genetic risk factors, a new study finds. Celiac disease, which makes it hard to absorb nutrients properly, is an inherited autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged by gluten and other protein found in wheat and some other grains. Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. An international team of researchers conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide data for the conditions, both considered inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The causes of the diseases are only partly understood, although it is known that genetic and environmental factors are involved. Previous research has shown that people with celiac disease have an increased risk of developing Crohn's disease, which suggested that the two conditions would share genetic risk factors. The scientists in ... Read more

Related support groups: Crohn's Disease, Celiac Disease

Study Suggests Link Between Crohn's Disease and PTSD

Posted 4 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 1 – Crohn's disease may cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study contends. The study included nearly 600 Swiss adults with Crohn's disease, an incurable inflammatory bowel disorder that causes severe pain and diarrhea. The study participants underwent PTSD assessment at the start of the study and 19 percent of them were found to have the disorder. All the participants were monitored for 18 months. The researchers found that Crohn's patients with PTSD were more than 13 times likelier to experience worsening symptoms than those without PTSD. The study appears Dec. 2 in the online edition of Frontline Gastroenterology. Crohn's can't be cured but PTSD can, and doctors treating Crohn's patients need to be alert for PTSD and refer patients for appropriate therapy, said the researchers, led by Roland von Kaenel, a professor with Bern University Hospital, in ... Read more

Related support groups: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Crohn's Disease

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