Gastroenterology
About
February 20, 2025   09:00 AM GMT

Webinar onGastroenterology

Early Bird Registration End Date: Jan 30, 2025
Abstract Submission Opens: Jan 06, 2025

About Sciconx Webinars

Sciconx webinars give precious openings for networking, literacy, and advancing scientific discovery through its commitment to excellence and invention. By easing interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration, Sciconx contributes significantly to the advancement of knowledge and the development of poignant results to global challenges. At Sciconx webinars, we suppose that bringing together professionals from the assiduity, scientists, preceptors, and experts from each over the world can foster invention, knowledge sharing, and the disquisition of uncharted home in wisdom and technology.

A Desirable Organization 

Sciconx Webinars is well-known for organizing outstanding scientific webinars, colloquies, and forums in various areas of exploration. We have the great pleasure of extending a warm invitation to the Webinar on Gastroenterology, which will be held on February 20, 2025.

Theme:

Under the theme "Inside Out: Transforming Digestive Health," we will delve into the multifaceted landscape of the Gastroenterology webinar, exploring innovative approaches, emerging trends, and transformative strategies to promote digestive well-being in an ever-evolving world.

We Are Pleased to Have You Join Us

"We're pleased to have you join us on February 20, 2025, for the Gastroenterology Webinar and Discussion Sessions, which promise to be an informative and transformative event. Our vision is to create a safe and inclusive space where open dialogue is encouraged, stigma is challenged, and innovative approaches to prevention, care, and support are explored. Our goal is to enhance the well-being of individuals affected by gastrointestinal conditions, promoting collaboration, advocacy, and education at both individual and community levels."

Objects of Our Webinar

• Highlight the importance of gastroenterology in maintaining digestive health and address critical challenges in gastrointestinal diseases.

• Foster a greater understanding of gastroenterological conditions and reduce stigma surrounding digestive health issues.

• Provide a platform to present research findings, evidence-based practices, and innovative approaches in gastroenterology care.

• Facilitate networking among gastroenterologists, researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, and advocates.

• Discuss cutting-edge technologies, emerging trends, and transformative strategies in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

• Create opportunities for skill enhancement through workshops, panel discussions, and continuing education sessions.

• Support policy development, increased funding, and improved infrastructure for gastroenterology research and care.

• Focus on enhancing the quality of care and well-being for individuals with gastrointestinal conditions at both individual and community levels.

Categories of Participation

  • Keynote Speaker
  • Oral Presentation
  • Workshop
  • Special Session
  • Panel Discussion
  • Poster Presentation
  • Exhibitor
  • Media Partner, Sponsor, and Collaborator
  • Online participation

Who Are Going to Participate?

  • Healthcare Providers
  • Gastroenterologists
  • Digestive Health Specialists
  • Researchers in Gastroenterology
  • Academics in Medical Sciences
  • Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in Gastroenterology
  • Technology Innovators in Medical Devices
  • Medical Students
  • Trainees in Gastroenterology
  • Patients with Gastrointestinal Conditions
  • Caregivers of Gastrointestinal Patients
  • Individuals with Lived Experience of Digestive Disorders

Connect with Us

We gladly welcome inquiries, responses, and collaborative applications. Please visit our website or send an email to support@sciconx.com to learn more about our webinars, sponsorship opportunities, and methods to get in touch with us

Latest News

Press release: Six Month Data from alfapump Pivotal POSEIDON Study in Treatment of Recurrent or Refractory Ascites due to Liver Cirrhosis Published in American Journal of Gastroenterology

2025-01-07 - 2025-01

Six Month Data from alfapump Pivotal POSEIDON Study in Treatment of Recurrent or Refractory Ascites due to Liver Cirrhosis Published in American Journal of Gastroenterology alfapump system is effective in controlling ascites in decompensated cirrhosis with recurrent or refractory ascites by reducing or even eliminating the need for therapeutic paracentesis1 Reduction was associated with a significant improvement in quality of life1,2 10 additional good health days per month in these patients1 Safety events consistent with those observed for this patient population1 Overall survival of alfapump patients was higher than reported for standard of care and not worse compared to TIPS1,3, 4 US PMA approval5 received in December 2024 and US commercial launch planned for H2 2025
Ghent, Belgium Sequana Medical NV (Euronext Brussels: SEQUA, the "Company" or "Sequana Medical"), a pioneer in the treatment of drug-resistant fluid overload in liver disease, heart failure and cancer, today announces the publication of "The Effects of alfapump on Ascites Control and Quality of Life in Patients with Cirrhosis and Recurrent or Refractory Ascites" in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal, American Journal of Gastroenterology. The publication covered the six month data for the forty implanted patients in the pivotal cohort of the POSEIDON study, the multicenter, open-label, single arm study with a within-subject crossover design conducted in patients with cirrhosis and recurrent or refractory ascites. The publication is available online here.

Professor Florence Wong, University of Toronto, Hepatologist at Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada and Principal Investigator for the POSEIDON study, commented: "Patients with recurrent or refractory ascites have a very poor quality of life and reliance upon large volume paracentesis (LVP) imposes a substantial burden on them, as well as their caregivers and the health care system. The results from the POSEIDON study in this publication have shown that the alfapump system effectively contolled ascites, which improved quality of life2, with complication rates similar to the expectation in patients with refractory ascites at six months post-implantation1. Results from the literature indicate that the overall survival of patients with the alfapump was not worse as compared to TIPS3,4 and was higher than reported for standard of care (LVP)."
Dr Gijs Klarenbeek, Chief Medical Officer of Sequana Medical NV, who has led the POSEIDON study for the Company, continued: "We are delighted with this thoughtful publication of the six month results from our POSEIDON study, and we thank all of the investigators and study teams. In addition to the reduction or virtual elimination of the need for the therapeutic paracentesis6, we are very pleased with the results highlighting the additional 10 good health days per month, which we believe is of great importance to these patients and their desire to take back control of their lives. T


Study: Three gastrointestinal subtypes of hEDS/HSD discovered

2025-01-03 - 2025-01

Scientists have discovered three subgroups related to different gastrointestinal problems among people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), a study reveals.
Some people had hEDS or HSD without the symptoms, while others also had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition associated with abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. A third group was characterized by both IBS and functional foregut disorders (FFDs), including indigestion, difficulty swallowing, heartburn, chronic nausea, and vomiting.
"Within hEDS/HSD, subgroups exist with a high prevalence of FFD and IBS," the researchers wrote. "Further research should focus on healthcare utilization, management and prognosis in hEDS/HSD and [gastrointestinal] overlap."
The study, "A machine learning approach to stratify patients with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome/hypermobility spectrum disorders according to disorders of gut brain interaction, comorbidities and quality of life," was published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
the most common type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hEDS is marked by overly mobile joints, soft and fragile skin, and spinal deformities (scoliosis). When the symptoms overlap, HSD is diagnosed when hEDS has been ruled out.
Several studies report gastrointestinal (GI) problems among hEDS/HSD patients. For example, children and young adults with hEDS have a higher prevalence of constipation and digestive symptoms, and teens with hEDS are more than twice as likely to develop IBS.
"While there is a known association between hEDS/HSD and gastrointestinal issues, not all individuals with hEDS/HSD experience these symptoms," wrote researchers who were led by scientists at Queen Mary University of London, who used machine learning methods to identify groups of patients with distinctive patterns of GI-related symptoms. The clinical dataset included 1,044 people, ages 18-75, with hEDS/HSD; most being women (87.8%). "Identification of such specific disease clusters may have implications for understanding [disease development] and for improving management of these complex disorders."


Diet, Microbes and Fat: A New Pathway Controlling Levels of Body Fat and Cholesterol

2025-01-08 - 2025-01

Lipid accumulation in a murine model of fatty liver disease, visualized by color-enhanced lipid droplets (pink) in liver tissue (green). Superimposed chemical structure of a newly discovered bile acid conjugate. Image courtesy of Dr. Mohammad Arifuzzaman, Dr. Christopher Parkhurst, Dr. Frank Schroeder, and Dr. David Artis.
Beneficial gut microbes and the body work together to fine-tune fat metabolism and cholesterol levels, according to a new preclinical study by investigators from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University's Ithaca campus.
The human body has co-evolved with the beneficial microbes that live in the gut (termed the microbiota), resulting in mutually favorable relationships that aid in the digestion of food and absorption of essential nutrients required for survival of the host and the gut microbes. A central aspect of these relationships is the production of bioactive molecules that promote the breakdown of food, enabling nutrient absorption by the host. One of the most important groups of such molecules are termed bile acids (also known as 'bile') which are produced from cholesterol in the liver and then delivered to the intestine where they promote fat digestion.
Scientists have known for some time that gut bacteria modify bile acids into a form that stimulates a receptor called FXR, which reduces bile production. The new study, published Jan. 8 in Nature, reveals that an enzyme produced by intestinal cells converts bile acids into a different form that has the opposite effect. This altered form, called bile acid-methylcysteamine (BA-MCY), inhibits FXR to promote bile production and help boost fat metabolism.
"Our study reveals there is a dialogue occurring between the gut microbes and the body that is vital for regulating bile acid production," said co-corresponding author Dr. David Artis, director of the Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation and the Michael Kors Professor in Immunology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Bile acids help the digestive system break down fats into forms the body can take up and use. "But it now has become clear that bile acids are more than just digestive aids; they act as signaling molecules, regulating cholesterol levels, fat metabolism, and more," said co-corresponding author Dr. Frank Schroeder, a professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute and a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. "They do all this by binding to FXR, which acts like a traffic light, controlling cholesterol metabolism and bile acid production to avoid excess buildup."
Now the cross-campus collaboration between the laboratories of Dr. Schroeder and Dr. Artis has revealed the host body's role in this fundamental biological process. The study was co-led by Dr. Tae Hyung Won, a former postdoctoral associate in Dr. Schroeder's laborator


How sitting long hours is causing poor gut health: Here's what you need to do

2025-01-08 - 2025-01

Did you know that sitting for long hours at your workstation can result in poor gut health, slowing down digestion and reducing blood circulation? Sitting compresses the stomach and intestines, leading to sluggish bowel movements, increased bloating, gas and constipation, says Dr Sudeep Khanna, gastroenterologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi.
That's why, he says, regular physical activity, even in modest amounts, can improve digestive system function, reduce disease-causing inflammation and boost metabolism.
How does sitting for extended hours impact gut health?
Sitting or remaining stationary for extended hours decreases blood flow and increases pressure on the digestive tract. Your abdominal organs become compressed, cannot move as well as they should and reduce blood circulation. Poor posture can disturb the alignment of digestive organs, which can lead to slower digestion and gas buildup. It can even restrict the diaphragm's movement, which can affect digestion.
That's why a sedentary lifestyle is always linked with inflammatory bowel disease and can be a leading cause of constipation. Prolonged sitting can negatively affect the gut microbiome, potentially causing an imbalance in beneficial and harmful bacteria, which can lead to various digestive and health complications. The lack of movement creates a stagnant environment within the digestive system, preventing optimal functioning of good bacteria and nutrient absorption.
When the gut bacteria become imbalanced, there's disruption in normal digestive processes, leading to reduced movement of food and difficulty in eliminating waste. The longer stool stays in your intestines, the harder it gets. And that makes it harder to pass.
Reduced blood flow and increased abdominal pressure further exacerbate your condition. Factors like high-sugar diets, sedentary lifestyles, chronic stress and inadequate hydration can compromise gut health, making constipation more likely.
Why we must prioritise gut health?
Gut health influences immune function, hormone levels and weight management. It supports heart health, enhances brain function, regulates mood and potentially helps prevent certain chronic diseases.
The micro-organisms living in our digestive system outnumber our cellular composition and play a significant role in synthesising essential nutrients, regulating inflammation and producing neurotransmitters that directly affect psychological states.
What can one do to ensure good gut health?
Practise proper posture by sitting upright, keeping shoulders relaxed and maintaining alignment. Implement regular movement breaks, taking short intervals to walk, stretch or perform gentle mobility exercises. Incorporate dynamic workplace strategies like standing desks, walking meetings, or periodic movement sessions. Focus on consuming a nutrient-dense diet rich in diverse fibre sources, fermented foods, and probiotics.
Prioritise stress management through mindfulness techniques, deep breat


GDXH - At the hospital, through endoscopy of the stomach and duodenum, doctors discovered hundreds of hookworms "residing" in the patient's duodenum.

2025-01-08 - 2025-01

Date 8/1, information from Central Hospital Thai Nguyen said that doctors at this unit had just received a patient with hundreds of hookworms in his digestive tract.
Accordingly, the female patient (49 years old, living in Yen Bai) was hospitalized because of repeated episodes of bright red blood in the stool. Through examination, doctors found that the patient was exhausted, severely anemic, had mucus and blood in the stool, and had bright red blood and blood clots in each bowel movement.
The patient had to be transfused with one liter of blood. To find out the cause of the gastrointestinal bleeding, the patient was prescribed an endoscopy of the stomach, duodenum and colon.
Endoscopy results showed that the patient's duodenal wall had many very small hookworms attached tightly. Photo: BVCC.
Endoscopy results showed that the patient's duodenal wall had many very small hookworms attached tightly. In the rectum and colon area, many white roundworms appeared attached to the mucosa, in some places the worms rolled together to form clumps. The entire colon mucosa was edematous, congested, and had bleeding spots.
Currently, after 10 days of treatment, the patient's health is gradually stabilizing.
BSCKII. Dinh Thi Anh Nguyet, Department of Gastroenterology, Thai Nguyen Central Hospital said: The appearance of worms, forming clumps that adhere tightly in the stomach and colon of patients is the main cause of gastrointestinal bleeding and chronic anemia. It is estimated that each day 1 hookworm can cause the patient to lose about 3ml of blood along with dangerous symptoms such as bloody stools, physical exhaustion...
According to Dr. Nguyet, although gastrointestinal bleeding caused by parasitic worms in the intestines is not common, it can still occur if we do not ensure personal hygiene, eat cooked food, drink boiled water, and deworm regularly.
When you see unusual symptoms in your body, you need to go to a specialized medical facility immediately for timely detection and treatment to avoid possible dangerous complications.


How antibiotics and other meds affect gut health - and what you can do about it

2025-01-08 - 2025-01

The gut - often referred to as the body's second brain - houses trillions of microorganisms that influence everything from digestion to mental health. However, this delicate balance can be easily disrupted by external factors, especially medication. While pharmaceutical intervention can be life-saving, experts tell The National the effects of meds on gut health can sometimes result in long-term challenges.
Pills and other medication interacts with the gut in various ways, whether beneficial or detrimental, says Dr Maria Alonso, the UAE's first Dubai Health Authority-licensed preventative doctor, who works at Maison Sante, a gut-focused clinic. These include commonly prescribed meds, such as antibiotics, antacids and certain diabetes treatments, which are among the biggest culprits behind gut issues, she says.
"Whatever you take, will get into your gut and it might have an effect," says Dr Alonso. "It could be a good one or a bad one, depending on what is in there and what is the way of action, so it's important to be aware of that."
A vicious cycle
This was UAE resident Tia Maher's reality for years. She was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, had seven stomach ulcers and chronic fatigue, and found herself caught in a cycle of medication that ultimately exacerbated her condition. Her symptoms included skin issues, chronic thrush and a significant decline in energy.
"I kept going to gastroenterologists and gynaecologists, and wondered what was happening to my body," she recalls. Doctors prescribed antacids for her ulcers and antifungals for the recurring yeast infections, but the root cause of Maher's symptoms - gut dysbiosis - remained unaddressed, she says.
Maher has since become a holistic health coach, working with people who, like her, have experienced first-hand the effects of medication on their gut. "I was on a lot of antibiotics and then I would have the probiotics thinking I've repopulated with the good stuff, whereas what actually happened was the entire microbiome had shifted," Maher says. "I kept leaning on meds and more meds to the detriment of my health."
"I kept going to gastroenterologists and gynaecologists, and wondered what was happening to my body," she recalls. Doctors prescribed antacids for her ulcers and antifungals for the recurring yeast infections, but the root cause of Maher's symptoms - gut dysbiosis - remained unaddressed, she says.
Maher has since become a holistic health coach, working with people who like her, have experienced first-hand the effects of medication on their gut. "I was on a lot of antibiotics and then I would have the probiotics thinking I've repopulated with the good stuff, whereas what actually happened was the entire microbiome had shifted," Maher says. "I kept leaning on meds and more meds to the detriment of my health."
How antibiotics affect the gut
Antibiotics, often necessary for treating infection, are particularly disruptive, wiping out not only harmful pathogens, but also t


TIP Companies Partner to Advance Digestive Health

2025-01-13 - 2025-01

Neighboring UConn TIP start-ups, Arome Science and Feel-Good Lab, sign a distribution agreement leveraging their respective strengths, and know-how
TIP Partners
UConn TIP entrepreneurs Alexey Melnik and Ryan Gresh '09 (ENG) partnered their respective companies to market and sell microbial wipes.
Inspired by his own struggles with gastrointestinal illness, Alexey Melnik developed an innovative new product to identify the source of microbial imbalances in the gut, a root cause of many gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and disorders.
But Melnik and his co-founders at Arome Science, Inc. had a problem. No one at the biotech start-up based knew the first thing about marketing.
Melnik, an analytical chemist and former research scientist at UConn, brought his dilemma to Ryan McMillian, Director of Venture Development at UConn's Technical Incubator Program (TIP). McMillian put him in touch with Ryan Gresh, the co-founder and CEO of the Feel-Good Lab, a holistic health start-up also based at TIP in Farmington. Then synergy happened.
Gresh has distinguished himself as a skilled promoter of his plant-based pain relief products, which were featured in July on a segment of Good Morning America. He is also adept at recognizing opportunities.
"Alexey is one of the biggest experts in the world on the gut microbiome," says Gresh. "That's a huge focus here at the Feel-Good Lab. His product is one of the most exciting things I've seen in 10 years of doing what I'm doing."
The two companies recently signed a distribution agreement, under which the Feel-Good Lab will market and sell Arome's new product, S'Wipe, as part of a kit that also includes a Feel-Good Lab food inflammation test that measures how the body and immune system react to different foods.
"What aligned the most between us is that we are helping to change the way to look at health and giving people a tool to be proactive instead of reactive," says Gresh. "Without TIP, this never would have happened."
Before arriving at UConn, Melnik worked as a research assistant in the lab of Pieter Dorrestein, a pioneer in the emerging field of metabolomics at the University of California San Diego. Metabolomics is the study of small molecules called metabolites that are created when the body breaks down food, drugs, chemicals, or tissue.
Melnik's work at the lab focused on developing analytical tools and methods to explore human and microbial chemistry through a variety of projects. He and his Arome co-founders have co-authored more than 300 articles, which have been cited more than 50,000 times.
Melnik left his position in UConn's Chemistry Department in August to focus full time on his work at Arome, where he is CEO. Dorrestein, a professor of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences at UCSD, who also directs its Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, and Institute for Metabolic Medicine, is a co-founder of the company with Melnik and UConn Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Alexander Aksenov.
S'W


Filter feeders transform microplastics into a bigger threat

2025-01-16 - 2025-01

A study led by Tel Aviv University has revealed alarming insights into how microplastic particles are transformed within marine ecosystems, posing new challenges to the health of the ocean's food web.
The research highlights how filter-feeding marine organisms alter the behavior and composition of microplastics, creating unforeseen risks for marine environments.
Investigating microplastic pollution
While previous research has documented the dangers of marine animals ingesting microplastics, this study goes a step further, exploring how these particles change after passing through the digestive systems of filter feeders.
Conducted by PhD student Eden Harel, Professor Noa Shenkar, and Professor Ines Zucker from Tel Aviv University, the study focused on ascidians - marine animals that efficiently filter tiny particles from water.
The findings reveal how the interaction between filter feeders and microplastics contributes to the spread and transformation of these particles.
"We aimed to examine whether and how plastic changes after passing through the digestive system of a marine organism and how this process affects the presence of plastic and its availability to other organisms," Shenkar explained.
How filter feeders transform microplastics
Using a controlled laboratory experiment, the researchers simulated seawater environments containing ascidians and introduced two types of microplastic particles.
These particles included polystyrene (PS), a common conventional plastic, and polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable bioplastic marketed as environmentally friendly. The team monitored the filtration, digestion, and excretion processes over 48 hours.
The results showed stark differences between the two types of plastic. Ascidians removed 90% of polystyrene particles from the water within two hours, but these particles were reintroduced to the water after 48 hours following digestion.
Polylactic acid particles, on the other hand, decreased significantly in concentration and remained at low levels. Larger PLA particles appeared to break down during digestion - likely returning to the water as smaller, undetectable nanoparticles.
These findings reveal that while some microplastics persist in their original form, others may fragment into smaller particles, potentially amplifying their environmental impact.
Plastic disguised as organic matter
To understand the changes microplastics undergo during digestion, the team used Raman spectroscopy to analyze particles excreted by the ascidians.
The analysis revealed a surprising transformation: the plastic particles were no longer identifiable as plastics. Instead, they appeared to be organic matter due to a fecal coating acquired in the digestive system.
"Our findings revealed that microplastic particles are excreted from the ascidian's digestive system coated with a fecal layer, and it is likely that the marine environment also identifies these particles as this organic material," Harel said.


Behold the AI Slop Dominating Google Image Results for "Does Corn Get Digested"

2025-01-12 - 2025-01

What happens inside our digestive systems when we feeble humans consume digestion-resistant corn? You wouldn't know from the not-so-helpful graphics holding rank as Google's top image results for the query, which have been polluted by bizarre AI-generated slop.
As pointed out on X-formerly-Twitter by the hardworking account "Insane Facebook AI Slop," a simple search query for the phrase "does corn get digested" returns a Google image results page loaded down with strange, nonsensical AI graphics claiming to depict corn kernels' quest through the human digestive tract. As it stands, four out of the top six results for the query - including the first and second results - are AI slop, and all stem from one of two spam blog posts published by a shady website claiming to sell "Top-notch Proteins Nutrition" from "China No.1 Manufacturer."
Each graphic yields its own slate of AI-mangled oddities - and, frequently, body horrors.
Take the top-ranked image for the query, which is linked to a clearly AI-generated blog post titled "Do Humans Digest Corn?" The graphic appears to suggest that human-consumed corn piles up in the human body outside of our intestines, and may even sprout a vine that could, per the allegedly scientific graphic, wrap around our internal organs. (It's unclear which organ this one is actually meant to be, but we're guessing maybe liver?)
Text overlaid on the graphic is somehow even less helpful than the image itself.
"Uncooked kernels of corn that’ll stay undigested," reads the garbled text. "Uncooked kardes of corn, corn, abenen of part in its broken down into gorse and absosed." Okay!
The second-ranked result - which is linked back to a near-identical spam blog titled "How Long Does It Take Corn to Digest?" - presents a similar vision for corn's digestive journey. This time, though, the graphic suggests that consuming corn somehow transforms humans' intestines into yellow maize, meanwhile insisting that a pink, Valentines-style heart is located at the centre of the stomach.
The graphic also includes a series of captioned images to define the major players at hand; they include "corn," the "stomach," and the "large intestine." (We'll let you guess what all of those are supposed to be.)
To be clear: eating corn will not turn your intestines into the field vegetable, nor will it lead to internally-sprouted vegetation wrapping around major organs like a boa constrictor. While some parts of corn kernels are digestible, corn is packed with insoluble fibre, meaning that certain parts of the kernel go through the human digestive system intact - leading to the widely accepted myth that humans simply can't digest corn at all. (Curious people Googling that phenomenon, presumably, are why spammy AI content mills are churning out garbage-quality blog posts about corn digestion in the first place.)
The discovery is just the latest that illustrates the impact that cheap and easy-to-make AI slop is having on our information pathways, clog


How Semaglutide Affects Your Digestive System

2025-01-13 - 2025-01

Semaglutide, a drug marketed under the brand names Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist primarily used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
"Semaglutide is a medication that helps to lower blood sugar," which can lead to weight loss, explains Shiara Ortiz-Pujols, M.D., an obesity medicine physician at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital.
While research has shown that semaglutide helps to improve hemoglobin A1c levels (a marker for blood sugar control) and stabilize weight in people with type 2 diabetes, the drug has also been associated with certain gastrointestinal side effects. Therefore, it's crucial for people on semaglutide therapy to understand its impact on digestion and make informed decisions related to their care.
Semaglutide's Impact on the Digestive System
Dr. Ortiz-Pujols explains that semaglutide works by binding to GLP-1 receptors. This triggers the release of insulin, a hormone that helps lower blood sugar levels. Additionally, it reduces the release of glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar levels. Together, these actions help prevent spikes in blood sugar. The drug also slows down digestion, keeping you full longer and reducing appetite.
These actions of semaglutide have been shown to offer several benefits, including
Improved blood sugar control
Prolonged feeling of fullness (satiety)
Support for weight loss
Reduced inflammation in people with diabetes
Common Digestive Side Effects of Semaglutide
Semaglutide can cause adverse gastrointestinal effects. Researchers are still studying the exact mechanisms behind this, but they believe these side effects may be due to two factors:
Delayed gastric emptying: Semaglutide slows down the movement of food from the stomach into the intestines.
Altered gut-brain signals: Semaglutide may change the way the gut and brain communicate, impacting appetite, nausea, and feelings of fullness.
One small 2022 study looking at 175 individuals on injectable semaglutide reported almost half of the participants experienced adverse gastrointestinal side effects, with the most common being nausea and vomiting. However, only five people stopped the medication due to their symptoms.
Other common digestive side effects of semaglutide include:
Diarrhea: Loose stools may result from Semaglutide's ability to delay gastric emptying, which can disrupt nutrient absorption in the digestive tract.
Constipation: Delayed gastric emptying can also cause food to remain in the digestive system longer, leading to increased fluid absorption and resulting in harder stools.
Bloating and Indigestion: Delayed gastric emptying can lead to bloating and feelings of fullness, sometimes causing discomfort or indigestion.
Studies comparing different doses and formulations have shown that more gastrointestinal side effects are experienced in the first few weeks of treatment. This can be seen with higher doses and when the usual dose is increase


Eradication Therapy Significantly Reduces Gastric Cancer Risk in H. pylori-Positive Individuals: Meta-Analysis Finds

2025-01-21 - 2025-01

UK: A recent meta-analysis published in Gastroenterology Journal has bolstered the argument for H. pylori eradication as a preventive strategy against gastric cancer.
The study revealed that treatment in healthy H. pylori-positive individuals resulted in a 36% lower risk of developing gastric cancer and a 22% reduced risk of death from the disease. Additionally, in patients with gastric neoplasia undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection, the risk of cancer was reduced by nearly 50%. Screening for and treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the general population or patients with early gastric neoplasia could significantly reduce the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer, a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although H. pylori eradication therapy has been shown to lower gastric cancer risk, no country has yet adopted screening due to the currently low quality of evidence. Considering this, Alexander C. Ford, Leeds Gastroenterology Institute, St. James’s University Hospital, Leeds, UK, and colleagues conducted an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring this issue.
For this purpose, the researchers conducted a literature search up to October 4, 2024, identifying studies that examined the effect of eradication therapy on gastric cancer incidence in H. pylori-positive adults without gastric neoplasia at baseline or in H. pylori-positive patients with gastric neoplasia undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). The studies included both RCTs and observational studies. The control arm in RCTs received a placebo or no eradication therapy, while in observational studies, no eradication therapy was administered. The follow-up period was at least two years. Relative risks (RR) for gastric cancer incidence and mortality were estimated.
The following were the key findings of the study:
• Eleven RCTs and 13 observational studies were included in the analysis.
• In RCTs, the relative risk (RR) of gastric cancer was lower with eradication therapy in healthy H. pylori-positive individuals (eight RCTs: 0.64) and in H. pylori-positive patients with gastric neoplasia undergoing EMR (three RCTs: 0.52).
• The RR of death from gastric cancer was lower with eradication therapy in healthy H. pylori-positive individuals (five RCTs: 0.78).
• In observational studies, the RR of future gastric cancer was lower with eradication therapy in H. pylori-positive individuals without gastric neoplasia at baseline (11 studies: 0.56) and in H. pylori-positive patients with gastric neoplasia undergoing EMR (two studies: 0.19).
"This meta-analysis provides further evidence that eradication therapy can prevent gastric cancer in H. pylori-positive individuals, with consistent results across various study designs," the researchers wrote."However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the low number of events in many studies, which may have led to an underestimation of heterogeneity. Additionally, since only t


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