In the News


Higher fiber consumption after colorectal cancer diagnosis linked to better survival

Each 5-g/d increase was associated with 18% lower colorectal cancer-specific mortality and 14% lower all-cause mortality.

Depression may be associated with higher risk for aggressive IBD

A prospective observational cohort study assessed the effects of baseline depression on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients from seven U.S. academic centers.

Project ECHO model appears cost-effective for HCV diagnosis, treatment

The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio with Project ECHO versus usual care was $10,351 per QALY, with 95.6% of iterations falling below a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY and more than 99.9% falling below a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000 per QALY.

MKSAP quiz: Medication management for joint pain due to degenerative disease

This month's quiz asks readers to evaluate medication management in a 67-year-old woman with a history of pain related to degenerative joint disease that is well controlled with diclofenac.

Spotlight on PPIs

Myocardial infarction risk appeared no greater with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) than with histamine H2 receptor antagonists in one recent study, while another study looked at the effect of a trainee-led program on inappropriate PPI infusions in hospitalized patients.

Long-term PPIs after H. pylori triple therapy associated with doubled stomach cancer risk

An observational study drew no firm conclusions about cause and effect, and proton-pump inhibitors are still generally considered safe.

ACP, CDC issue best practice advice on HBV

Clinicians should screen for hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients at high risk, such as those born in countries where the HBV prevalence is 2% or higher, men who have sex with men, patients who require immunosuppressive therapy, or patients with end-stage renal disease.

Potency concerns lead to recall of anti-diarrhea drug

Recalled batches of diphenoxylate hydrochloride and atropine sulfate, an adjunctive therapy for the management of diarrhea, were distributed nationwide between November 2016 and June 2017.