A recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology suggests that in the United States southern women are less likely than their northern counterparts to suffer from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Researchers believe this is attributable to the extra time that southern women spend in the sun’s ultraviolet rays, thereby increasing their Vitamin D levels. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Research’ Category
Good news for southern women: reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
Osteoporosis Medications Can Cause Gastrointestinal Discomfort
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Fifty-four percent of postmenopausal women in the United States have a low bone mass density, increasing their risk for hip and vertebral fractures. To combat this risk, a growing number of physicians are prescribing osteoporosis medications.
Bisphosphonate, an ingredient in medications such as Boniva, Actonel and Fosamax, has been linked to stomach pain, heartburn and ulcers. A recent Oxford University Study has revealed that taking these drugs could possibly double your chances of esophageal cancer, indicating that the risk of esophageal cancer increases slightly after just one dose of a bisphosphonate-containing medicine. (more…)
GI Roundtable highlights focus on patient care
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011
Recently I was privileged to be a part of a national GI Roundtable held here in Knoxville. During the course of two days, 130 invited leaders of gastrointestinal practices from across the country came together to discuss health care reform and the future of gastroenterology. (more…)
Research Helps GIA Physicians Achieve Better Outcomes
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
I recently participated in a study with a group of esteemed colleagues to determine if the suggested protocol for performing colonoscopy was, in fact, the most beneficial. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology (http://www.jcge.com; Vol. 44, No. 4, April 2010). (more…)
Getting to the Right Source
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Are you on Facebook? We are!
We have also posted some news highlights on YouTube.
I am finding new media is opening up incredible ways to provide information that can help keep people well – and for others to share that information with people who need it. (more…)
Is Colon Cleansing Helpful or Balderdash?
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal brought to the forefront a long-standing debate between practitioners of conventional and alternative medicine over the value of colon cleansing.
GIA Patients Benefit from Our Participation in Research
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
Gastrointestinal Associates (GIA) is very involved in research to determine the effectiveness of the treatments of gastrointestinal diseases. This involvement is a direct benefit to the patients of GIA.
Recently, GIA and I participated in a study of one particular treatment of Barrett’s esophagus, a condition that can lead to cancer of that organ. The study was published in May of this year in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine (PDF, 2.1 mb), and GIA was one of 19 centers across the United States participating in the research. The study showed that radiofrequency ablation (thermal destruction) of abnormal cells eradicated those cells without damaging the esophagus.
