Each month, the CDI team rounds up some of the latest #GIcommunity research, news, and trends and highlights how they impact functional GI diagnostics and treatment.
To kick off the New Year, we recap top stories and research from 2021, plus functional GI celebrity news and new, timely analysis on the diagnosis of Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth (IMO).
Top 10 from 2021: ACG guidelines, constipation, gut microbiome
Healio Gastroenterology presented a report on the top 10 peer-tested stories from 2021. Story coverage included kiwi fruit’s effectiveness in relieving symptoms in chronic constipation, COVID-19 severity and the linkage to the gut microbiome, low FODMAP diet’s impact on IBS-D symptoms, and more.
Pharmacologic and Non-Medicinal Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Review of the Recent ACG Guidelines
In a Special Report issued by Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, Darren M. Brenner, MD, FACG, AGAF, RFF, of Northwestern Medicine, provides an overview of the diagnostic and treatment recommendations outlined in the ACG guidelines on IBS management, released in early 2021. In addition to the positive diagnostic strategy as opposed to a diagnostic strategy of exclusion, Dr. Brenner details non-medicinal treatment options available for affected IBS patients, which he also spoke about in CDI’s 2021 Year in Review + 2022 Outlook webinar held last November.
A Single Fasting Exhaled Methane Level Correlates With Fecal Methanogen Load, Clinical Symptoms and Accurately Detects Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth
Researchers conducted an extensive, multilevel study that found that a fasting, single methane measurement (SMM) can accurately diagnose Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth (IMO). The researchers concluded that using a cutoff of SMM ≥10 ppm “seems to accurately diagnose IMO, is associated with constipation, and correlates with stool M. smithii.” The new research further validates the use of glucose and lactulose breath testing to diagnose IMO and monitor treatment response over time.
Celebrities Take to Social Media to Talk About GI Health Issues
In our November industry roundup, our team uncovered media articles about celebrity actress Taraji P Henson’s ongoing bout with functional GI symptoms. In a related article late last year, HGTV personality and real estate investor Christina Haack spoke out about her health issues, which like Henson, also included a recent diagnosis of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). Delilah Belle Hamlin, social media influencer and daughter of Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, also took to social media last year to talk about her health issues, including SIBO.
