In the News

PPIs not associated with mortality risk for most causes, study finds

While patients who took proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) had significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality and mortality due to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and digestive diseases, lag times of up to six years attenuated these associations so they were no longer statistically significant.

HCV medications decreased liver disease among those using injection drugs

A Baltimore-based study found that half of participants with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and a history of injection drug use at baseline were free of the virus by 2019, with associated reductions in their risk of cirrhosis and mortality.

Fatty liver disease may not affect mortality risk in elderly patients

In a Dutch cohort study of patients ages 65 years and older, no association was found between hepatic steatosis and death in the overall population or in clinically relevant subgroups.

MKSAP Quiz: Sudden-onset abdominal pain followed by bright red rectal bleeding

This month's quiz asks readers to determine the most likely diagnosis for a 68-year-old woman evaluated in the ED for sudden-onset, crampy, left-lower-quadrant abdominal pain followed several hours later by passage of bright red blood per rectum.

Spotlight on new tech in Barrett's esophagus

A new clinical practice update from the American Gastroenterological Association and a systematic review and meta-analysis focused on new technologies to detect Barrett's esophagus and Barrett's neoplasia.

DPP-4 inhibitors associated with risk of cholecystitis, meta-analysis finds

Patients with type 2 diabetes who were randomized to receive dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors had higher rates of gallbladder disease than those who got placebo or nonincretin drugs, but no difference in risk of cholelithiasis or biliary diseases.

ACG-CAG provided suggestions for periendoscopic management of anticoagulants and antiplatelets

The recommendations from the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG), particularly those for withholding antithrombotics before planned endoscopic procedures, require individualized decision making with multidisciplinary input, an ACP Journal Club commentary said.

Aspirin use is associated with reduced risk for hepatocellular carcinoma

The findings of a recent meta-analysis provide support for an association between aspirin use and reduced risk for hepatocellular carcinoma but do not warrant use of aspirin as prophylaxis, and more research is needed, an ACP Journal Club commentary said.

Case reports, series published on gastroenterology topics

Reports on sarcomatoid carcinoma of the colon, intestinal histopathologic findings in multisystem inflammatory syndrome, and chronic gastric ischemia with ulceration, as well as a case series on immune checkpoint inhibitor use in microscopic colitis, were published in the past month.

More laxatives recalled due to microbial contamination

Recalled products were distributed nationwide at CVS drugstore locations.