If you are interested in nutrition, you have likely heard the term, ‘gut microbiome,’ but what is it, and why is it important? Dr. Chris Damman, clinical associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at UW Medicine shares how our bodies are transformed by bioactive compounds in the foods we eat. He addresses how a new approach to what we put in our bodies is inspiring next generation nutritional approaches to non-communicable diseases. You can find more information from Dr. Damman on his blog, Gut Bites: https://gutbites.org
Author: Abhay Panchal
Hoping to lure US physicians northward, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Ontario are now allowing those who are board certified to start practicing medicine immediately with full licensure. They’ll no longer have to start with a limited license and take additional exams or be supervised for up to a year to become fully licensed. Canada is experiencing an acute shortage of licensed physicians that’s expected to intensify over the next decade. The shortfall is estimated to be about 44,000 physicians by 2028, with family doctors accounting for 72% of the deficit. “Reducing licensing barriers should make Canada a…
ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, can provide easily understandable, scientifically adequate, and generally satisfactory answers to common patient questions about colonoscopy, new research suggests. “This study shows that a conversational AI program can generate credible medical information in response to common patient questions,” say the investigators, led by Tsung-Chun Lee, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan. “With dedicated domain training, there is meaningful potential to optimize clinical communication to patients undergoing colonoscopy,” they add. The study was published online May 5 in Gastroenterology. ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, is a natural…
AT DDW 2023 CHICAGO – Improving access to preventive health care services, such as colorectal cancer screening, for the poor and uninsured has led to better health outcomes, shows a study presented on May 6 in Chicago at the annual Digestive Disease Week®. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, reported that states with expanded Medicaid coverage had significantly higher rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening than states where officials refused federal support for Medicaid expansion. Led by Megan R. McLeod, MD, an internal medicine resident at the University of California, Los Angeles, researchers compared CRC screening rates in…
CHICAGO — The standard approaches to measuring flares in people with Crohn’s disease have some limitations, including an inability to signal a change in disease activity without laboratory testing or before symptoms arise. A new device developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology could change all that.Using data collected via a passive at-home monitoring device (Emerald sensor, Emerald Innovations Inc), researchers found that increases in breathing rate, more awakenings at night, and slower walking speed accurately predicted that a person’s Crohn’s disease activity was about to flare, according to a study presented May 7 at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2023.In some…
CHICAGO—Underwater endoscopic mucosal resection conveys numerous advantages over the conventional approach for resection of colorectal polyps, according to a meta-analysis presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023. “We found that for all lesions—irrespective of their size—underwater endoscopic mucosal resection outperforms conventional EMR in terms of en bloc resection, R0 resection and rate of polyp recurrence,” said lead investigator Saurabh Chandan, MD, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at Creighton University School of Medicine, in Omaha, Nebraska. The data are somewhat less clear for lesions larger than 20 mm, he added. “I would say that [underwater] EMR is comparable to [conventional] EMR, and…
Private practice is changing across specialties, and gastroenterology is no different. Stephen Amann, MD, a gastroenterologist at Digestive Health Specialists in Tupelo, Miss., connected with Becker’s to discuss what private practice may look like 10 years from now.Note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Dr. Stephen Amann: The landscape has changed significantly over the past number of years. I believe healthcare and patients need to have private practice GI physicians and advanced practice providers to deliver care. Physician autonomy allows practices to be responsive and resilient to rapid changes occurring in healthcare.
Quest Diagnostics is hoping it’s found a winner in Haystack Oncology, with a $450 million bet on the cancer-focused blood test startup. The clinical testing giant plans to acquire Baltimore-based Haystack for its technology to detect minimal residual disease by catching the early signs of a solid tumor’s recurrence by sifting out small pieces of cancer DNA floating in the bloodstream. The deal includes $300 million in upfront cash, plus an additional $150 million should Haystack’s tests achieve certain performance milestones. Quest said it expects the deal to close by the end of June. “Haystack’s liquid biopsy technology, combined with…
In this episode, Torrey and I discuss his journey from aerospace engineering, building tesla coils at burning man, to founding Endiatx and making Pillbot; a pill-sized robot that can swim in the human stomach and be controlled by a joystick. A very unique story and inspiring experience.
After years in development, the FDA has said a smart, sensor-laden toilet seat has passed the agency’s muster. Casana—a startup describing itself as “the industry leader in monitoring heart health through smart toilets”—has received a green light for its Heart Seat to log users’ pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation, as part of its pitch for “effortless” at-home patient monitoring. The company, formed as a spinout of the Rochester Institute of Technology, said it also plans to seek additional FDA clearances for checking blood pressure every day (or more), and aims to have its Heart Seat publicly available by the…