Vendor Highlights - updated daily

Vendor Highlights - updated daily

Focusing on innovative technology, news, and advertisements regarding gastrointestinal endoscopy. Vendor Highlights provides ease of access into the window of tomorrow.

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Long-Used, Little-Studied Laxative Safe, Effective
Until now, a scant number of top notch clinical trials have evaluated whether sodium picosulfate -- the active ingredient in numerous over-the-counter laxatives -- is safe and effective.
Dr. Stefan Mueller-Lissner, at Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, in Germany, and colleagues conducted such a trial and found sodium picosulfate both safe and effective for chronic constipation.
Sodium picosulfate, found in laxative pills and also in oral drinks that purge intestines and bowels in preparation for a colonoscopy exam, was identified as a laxative long before drugs had to be studied to become licensed, Mueller-Lissner explained in an email to Reuters Health.
Hence, sodium picosulfate lacks "a nice portfolio of controlled clinical trials" for researchers to compare with those of newer laxatives.
Mueller-Lissner’s team began to address this oversight by testing sodium picosulfate versus a similar-tasting and looking inactive placebo in adults who had constipation for 13 years on average.
For 4 weeks, 233 participants took 18 sodium picosulfate drops (about 10 milligrams) by mouth each evening while the remaining 134 took 18 drops of the placebo. None knew which liquid they were taking, the researchers note in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Anyone with excessive diarrhea or severe abdominal discomfort, which can happen with laxatives, could cut their dose in half after consulting with a study investigator. Half of those taking the sodium picosulfate-containing laxative, but none taking placebo, did cut their dose by the end of the 4 weeks. The researchers provided laxative suppositories for use by anyone without a bowel movement for more than 72 hours.
The researchers report that far fewer people taking sodium picosulfate than the inactive placebo needed a suppository to have a bowel movement (21 percent versus 44 percent).
Moreover, the active laxative users reported better quality of life and were about twice as likely to rate their treatment favorably, even though they more often reported diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.
This study, the researchers say, offers evidence that over-the-counter laxatives containing sodium picosulfate are safe and effective. But Mueller-Lissner cautions anyone with unexplained constipation or bloody stools accompanied by a distended abdomen to seek medical advice.
SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology
(Reuters Health, 3/12/10)

Campaign To Stop Colon Cancer Now Launched In Conjunction With National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
The Campaign to Stop Colon Cancer Now, a campaign to increase screenings and prevent the nation’s second-leading cancer killer, launched today in conjunction with National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March.
The campaign, powered by AmSurg, with gastroenterologist partners in over 100 communities nationwide, is aimed at educating the public that colonoscopy screening prevents colon cancer, with more than 90 percent of colon cancer cases being curable when discovered via colonoscopy in early stages. Colon cancer continues to be a battle for Americans, with 49,920 reported deaths in the U.S. in 2009, yet it doesn’t have to be. Colon cancer screening through colonoscopy is unique in that, if discovered, polyps can be removed during the same screening procedure.
"The risk of a person having colon cancer in their lifetime is about 1 in 19 and almost 75 percent of colon cancer cases have no prior family history or symptoms," says Dr. Jay Popp, medical advisor to the Campaign to Stop Colon Cancer Now. "Our mission with the Stop Colon Cancer Now campaign is to save lives."
Stop Colon Cancer Now, StopColonCancerNow.com, aims to educate the public about early detection and prevention of the disease, to eliminate the stigma associated with colonoscopies, and to increase regular screenings for people over 50 and for people who are at added risk for the disease, including those with a family history of polyps or colon or rectal cancer, African Americans and other minority groups within which the disease is more prevalent or screenings are underperformed. The campaign will include outreach via local events, media and Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
"The easiest way to prevent colon cancer is to schedule a colonoscopy," says Dr. Popp, "This painless screening test, which takes about 30 minutes, provides important information about one’s gastrointestinal health and, for most patients, does not have to be done at a hospital."
No matter where you live or work, StopColonCancerNow.com provides valuable education, colon cancer screening options, screening locations, insightful patient stories and more.
The campaign Web site also offers the opportunity to make a personal pledge to educate family and friends about prevention and the importance of getting a colonoscopy. For each person who takes the pledge, AmSurg will make a donation to colon cancer prevention charities. Understanding that people may need some additional motivation, those taking the pledge will also be entered into the Stop Colon Cancer Now contest for the chance to win a flat-screen television.
SOURCE AmSurg
The Medical News, 3/11/10)

Obesity Linked to Higher Mortality Rate in Colon Cancer
In patients with colon cancer, obesity was associated with higher rates of cancer recurrence and mortality, according to research published online March 9 in Clinical Cancer Research.
Frank A. Sinicrope, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues analyzed data from 4,381 patients with stage II and III colon carcinoma who were participating in randomized trials of 5-fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients had been treated surgically, and most had received effective chemotherapy.
The authors note that 20 percent of patients were obese. Compared to normal-weight patients, obese patients were found to have more distal tumors and lymph node metastases. Body mass index (BMI) was associated with both disease-free survival and overall survival. Men with a BMI of 35 or above had a 35-percent increased risk of death compared with normal-weight patients. Women with a BMI of 30 to 34 had a 24-percent higher risk of death. The association between BMI and clinical outcome was stronger in men than women, per the researchers.
"Our findings extend the effect of obesity beyond its known association with colon cancer risk by showing that obesity is an independent prognostic variable in colon cancer survivors that shows differences by gender. Obesity was a poor prognostic factor despite adjuvant chemotherapy. Such information has the potential to influence patient management decisions and surveillance strategies," the authors conclude.
(ModernMedicine, 3/10/10)

Rotating Shift Work May Raise Irritable Bowel Risk
Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) include constipation and diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, and bloating. It’s unclear what causes the syndrome, which affects as many as one in five Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Shift workers often report altered bowel habits similar to people with IBS, Dr. Willemijntje A. Hoogerwerf, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues note in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Their evaluation of bowel disorders among 399 nurses implies that rotating work schedules, which commonly disrupt the intestinal tract’s rhythm, are "associated with a greater chance of having irritable bowel syndrome," Hoogerwerf said in an email to Reuters Health.
She and colleagues assessed self-reported bowel disorders and sleep quality among mostly female nurses with no other conditions potentially associated with bowel dysfunction.
A total of 214 worked straight days, 110 worked straight nights, and 75 rotated between day and night shifts. Generally those working night and rotating shifts were younger, while day shift nurses tended to have longer work experience - nearly 20 years versus 11 to 13 years.
Overall, 36 (48 percent) working rotating shifts reported symptoms of IBS, as did 44 (40 percent) of those working straight nights.
By comparison, 66 (about 31 percent) working straight days had IBS symptoms - still more than what might be expected in the general population (up to about 20 percent).
The investigators found reports of sleeping badly, having trouble falling asleep, and daytime sleepiness all more common among nurses with IBS, regardless of their work shift.
But working a rotating shift remained significantly associated with IBS even after taking into account sleep quality, age, gender, years of experience, and number of years working night or rotating shifts.
Nurses working night and rotating shifts were also more likely to report abdominal pain or discomfort than their day-working peers.
Based on these results, Hoogerwerf questions whether IBS results from "an underlying biological rhythm disorder of the intestine." She and her colleagues call for further studies to assess this.
Meanwhile, Hoogerwerf recommends shift workers with IBS-like symptoms consult their physician "to discuss the potential impact" their work schedule has on their symptoms.
SOURCE: American Journal of Gastroenterology, published online February 16, 2010.
(Reuters, 3/9/10)

Physicians come together on National Colorectal Cancer Awareness and Screening Day
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer death among men and women nationwide, yet only half of people who need CRC screening receive it. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute is working to educate patients about the importance of screening and to encourage everyone age 50 and older to get screened for CRC.
Recognizing that those without insurance have limited access to screening, gastroenterologists and physicians throughout the country have established free CRC screening programs for the uninsured. On National Colorectal Cancer Awareness and Screening Day (March 20, 2010), programs in ten states are holding simultaneous screening events on March 19 and 20, 2010, to check patients for this deadly cancer and raise awareness of the importance of screening.
"The AGA Institute firmly believes that all Americans should have access to life-saving colorectal cancer screenings. If caught early, colorectal cancer is very treatable," said Carla H. Ginsburg, MD, MPH, AGAF, chair of the AGA Institute Social Conscience Task Force. "The AGA applauds the physicians who are donating their time to screen patients who wouldn’t otherwise be checked for colorectal cancer. We encourage all patients over age 50 to talk with their doctor about their colorectal cancer screening options."
There are a number of colorectal screening options, which vary by the extent of bowel preparation, as well as test performance, limitations, time interval and cost. The AGA considers colonoscopy the definitive test for CRC screening and prevention since it can detect cancer at an early, curable stage and prevent cancer by removing pre-cancerous polyps. For detailed information on CRC screening options, please see the AGA Institute brochure CRC Prevention and Treatment.
In addition to supporting grassroots efforts to screen patients without insurance, the AGA is hopeful that current provisions for CRC screening included in both the House and Senate health-care reform bills are included in the final bill. Both bills provide incentives for more individuals to get screened for CRC screenings and would provide a technical correction to the current Medicare CRC deductible and would waive the deductible regardless if a polyp or lesion is found.
AGA Institute President Gail A. Hecht, MD, MS, AGAF, said, "Legislation needs to be enacted that provides screening programs for the uninsured and medically underserved. Additionally, legislation should require that both public and private health insurers cover all recommended options for colorectal cancer screening for everyone aged 50 years and older, or 45 years and older for those at higher risk, with reasonable copayment."
In addition to following recommended screening guidelines, people can reduce their risk of developing or dying from CRC through regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight.
More than 20 gastroenterologists in the following states are conducting free colonoscopies on March 19 and 20:
Colorado
Connecticut
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New York
Ohio
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Washington
(EurekAlert, 3/8/10)

Gut Bacteria May Spur Obesity, Research Suggests
Intestinal bacteria may contribute to obesity and metabolic syndrome, a new study in mice suggests.
"It has been assumed that the obesity epidemic in the developed world is driven by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the abundance of low-cost, high-calorie foods. However, our results suggest that excess caloric consumption is not only a result of undisciplined eating but that intestinal bacteria contribute to changes in appetite and metabolism," senior study author Andrew Gewirtz, an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, said in a university news release.
He and his colleagues found that increased appetite and insulin resistance can be transferred from one mouse to another via intestinal bacteria. The findings are published online March 4 in the journal Science.
It’s believed that intestinal bacteria populations in people are acquired at birth from family members and are relatively stable. However, they can be affected by diet and antibiotics.
"Previous research has suggested that bacteria can influence how well energy is absorbed from food, but these [new] findings demonstrate that intestinal bacteria can actually influence appetite," Gewirtz explained.
He said the findings from mice suggest "that it’s possible to ’inherit’ metabolic syndrome through the environment, rather than genetically. Do obese children get that way because of bad parenting? Maybe bacteria that increase appetite are playing a part."
A gene called toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) plays an important role in controlling intestinal bacteria. Gewirtz and colleagues plan to investigate TLR5 variations in humans and how bacteria in TLR5-deficient mice influence appetite and metabolism.
(HealthDay, 3/5/10)