A research team from Japan clarified the effects of three different types of anti-hypertensive drugs on the three different segments of esophageal body contractions using a recently developed high-resolution manometric system. Their study showed that among the anti-hypertensive drugs tested, atenolol enhanced esophageal motor activity, which was in contrast to nifedipine.
A new study shows that DBZ, a drug currently in clinical trials for use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, is able in rats to stop the growth of Barrett’s esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition which if unchecked can lead to esophageal (gullet) cancer. This may be a powerful new weapon in the fight against a common cancer which is hard to treat and usually fatal.
A new study shows that muscle cells grown in the lab can restore an intestine’s ability to squeeze shut properly. The work, performed in dogs and rats, might ultimately help treat patients with conditions such as gastric reflux and fecal incontinence.
Surgeons are now offering patients an incisionless alternative to laparoscopic and traditional surgery for treatment of acid reflux or GERD.
Contrary to current thinking, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease might not develop as a direct result of acidic digestive juices burning the esophagus, researchers have found in an animal study.
Despite being highly effective and beneficial for many patients, unexpected consequences are emerging in patients who are prescribed proton pump inhibitors for reflux diseases. Physicians are warned to monitor these effects and prescribe these medications carefully, according to a new commentary.
Despite being highly effective and beneficial for many patients, unexpected consequences are emerging in patients who are prescribed proton pump inhibitors for reflux diseases. Physicians are warned to monitor these effects and prescribe these medications carefully, according to a new commentary.
New research has found that nearly 1 in 4 patients with OSA suffers from nighttime teeth grinding. This seems to be especially more prevalent in men and in Caucasians compared with other ethnic groups.
A clinical research team from Japan examined the effects of long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy on body weight (BW) and body mass index in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). They concluded long-term PPI treatment was associated with BW gain in patients with GERD. Reflux patients receiving PPI should be encouraged to manage BW through lifestyle modifications.
In a six year study of World Trade Center workers, researchers probed the connection between the high frequencies of GERD and mental health disorders reported among exposed workers during the post 9/11 cleanup. And researchers from the United States Navy examining functional gastrointestinal disorders within the active military population and their connection to of infectious gastroenteritis found not only a significant association between IGE and FGD, but also that almost 30 percent of those effected received care for two years after their initial diagnosis.
New research has found that survival rates of patients with Barrett’s esophagus, which can be a precursor for esophageal cancer, are no different than the survival rates for the general population.
H2 blocker drugs, such as Famotidine, Cimetidine and Ranitidine, approved in the U.S. for acid reflux, pose no significant risks for the fetus, according to a large collaborative cohort study by researchers in Israel.
Although the relationship between alcohol and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is well established, studies investigating the association between alcohol intake and reflux esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma have reported inconsistent findings. New research suggests that alcohol consumption in early adulthood may lead to the development of reflux esophagitis.
A new study found drinking one glass of wine a day may lower the risk of Barrett’s Esophagus by 56 percent. There was no reduction of Barrett’s Esophagus risk among people who drank beer or liquor.
A tiny protein helps protect disease-causing bacteria from the ravaging effects of stomach acid, researchers at the University of Michigan and Howard Hughes Medical Institute have discovered.
Gastroenterologists are studying the safety and efficacy of a new system for delivering chemotherapy for patients with esophageal cancer, a rare, but deadly disease that attacks the throat. The unique drug therapy delivers a highly concentrated dose of chemotherapy injected directly on to the hard-to-reach tumors in the esophagus nonsurgically. Researchers are trying to determine if the gel treatment can reduce the size of the cancerous tumors.
Proton pump inhibitors interfere with anti-clotting protection of clopidogrel. The anti-clotting action of the medication clopidogrel can be compromised by common drugs for the treatment of heartburn and ulcers resulting in a roughly 50 percent increase in the combined risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke and other serious cardiovascular illnesses, according to a new study.
Lansoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor which powerfully suppresses gastric acid production and is widely prescribed for chronic use in gastroesophageal reflux disease. Lansoprazole uncommonly causes chronic watery diarrhea unresponsive to conventional medication as a symptom of collagenous colitis.
A procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to treat Barrett’s esophagus, a condition caused by acid reflux (severe heartburn), can eliminate signs of the potentially cancer-causing disorder and reduce the risk that the disease will progress. The procedure, called radiofrequency ablation, could mean patients have an alternative to surgery for treating Barrett’s esophagus.
Hospitalized patients who receive acid-suppressive medications such as a proton-pump inhibitor have a 30 percent increased odds of developing pneumonia while in the hospital, according to a new study.
Canadian Light Source scientists used the synchrotron’s infrared microscope to identify the chemical fingerprint of Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that can lead to esophageal cancer.
Scientists have studied the role of Helicobacter infection in the development of stomach cancer, and found that the hormone gastrin, which stimulates secretion of gastric acid, plays a key role in the development of Helicobacter-induced stomach cancer, may have distinct effects on carcinogenesis in different parts of the stomach.
Patient satisfaction with their medications and the quality of interactions with their doctor reflect the success of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) therapy.
