In the News

Anti-interleukins, JAK inhibitors linked with lower infection risk in ulcerative colitis

Both anti-interleukins and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors were associated with a lower risk of serious infections than tumor necrosis factor antagonists, according to a retrospective study of more than 9,000 patients with ulcerative colitis.

Opioids after IBD hospitalization tied to worse outcomes

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who filled an opioid prescription within seven days of a hospital or ED visit were more likely to come back to the hospital, to receive a corticosteroid prescription, or to have an escalation of medical therapy.

Study assesses remission, complication rates with vedolizumab in early, late Crohn's

Patients with Crohn's disease who started vedolizumab within two years of diagnosis were significantly more likely to reach clinical and endoscopic remission than those who had been diagnosed more than two years earlier and already received anti-tumor necrosis factor agents, a manufacturer-supported trial found.

MKSAP Quiz: Hospitalized for pleural effusion

A 58-year-old woman is hospitalized for dyspnea due to recurrent right-sided pleural effusion. She has autoimmune hepatitis with cirrhosis. Following lab studies and other scans, what is the most appropriate next step in management?

GI effects compared across GLP-1 drugs in real-world study

Patients who took the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists dulaglutide or semaglutide or the GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonist tirzepatide had similar rates of adverse GI events, a database study found.

Mediterranean diet could be an effective first-line intervention for IBS

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who were randomized to six weeks of a Mediterranean diet had greater improvement in symptoms than those assigned to a traditional healthy diet, a British trial found.

Case reports examine infection, other GI topics

Whipple disease, cutaneous gangrene in ulcerative colitis, and emphysematous pancreatitis were described recently.

In adults aged 45 to 49 y, active screening choices via patient portal reduced screening rates vs. mailed FIT at 6 mo

The finding that trial participants preferred mailed fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) to active choice of colonoscopy or FIT suggests that those in this age group are more likely to accept screening when it is easy and convenient and could benefit from a menu of targeted interventions, an ACP Journal Club commentary said.