In the News

ACG lowers suggested age for colorectal cancer screening in updated guidelines

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) continues to recommend colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults ages 50 to 75 years but now also suggests it in those ages 45 to 49 years.

GI symptoms associated with better outcomes from COVID-19, new two-part study finds

SARS-CoV-2 was commonly present in the gastrointestinal tract but didn't cause inflammation there, according to a recent analysis of intestinal biopsy tissues from patients with COVID-19.

Use of PPIs may be associated with C. difficile infections

A Danish nationwide cohort study found that ongoing exposure to proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) was associated with moderately increased community-associated Clostridioides difficile infection risk during treatment and for up to one year afterward.

MKSAP Quiz: Treatment of esophageal stricture

This month's quiz asks readers to determine the most appropriate treatment for a 30-year-old patient with eosinophilic esophagitis, refractory symptoms of dysphagia despite fluticasone therapy, and the finding of an esophageal stricture on endoscopy.

Spotlight on IBD therapy effects

Research in the past month found that infliximab blunts the body's immune response to COVID-19 infection, that both infliximab and adalimumab are effective in long-term treatment of outpatients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and that antitumor necrosis factor therapy may be associated with reduced mortality compared with long-term corticosteroid use in patients with Crohn's disease.

Food insecurity associated with less weight loss, even with intense intervention

The findings of a recent randomized trial suggest that weight loss approaches need to address both obesity and food insecurity, both of which continue to increase in the U.S.

Studies examine impact of hospital policies on C. difficile infection rates

While one study found that participation in an antibiotic stewardship program from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality led to reductions in hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection rates, a simulation study found that visitor contact precautions may not be as helpful.