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.
This month, we explore a recent study on gas-related symptoms, a pop-culture article on Taraji P. Henson’s bout with SIBO, an article review on PI-IBS, and new research on technology’s role in improving low-FODMAP diet viability.
Gas-related symptoms, experienced by 80% of adults, negatively affect quality of life
Results from a multinational study presented during UEG Week in early October showed that only 11% of adults could report a lack of seven common gas-related symptoms during a 24-hour period. The study surveyed nearly 6,000 adults from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Mexico and measured the presence and severity of flatulence, stomach rumbling, belching, bad breath, difficult gas evacuation, abdominal distention, and bloating (abdominal pressure). While these are common symptoms, frequency and severity could indicate functional GI disorders like SIBO, IMO, and/or IBS.
Taraji P. Henson Is Living Out Her 'Wildest Dreams' Following SIBO Diagnosis
Women’s Health Magazine covers the actress’s ongoing bout with functional GI symptoms, including uncontrolled vomiting and weight loss over several years. Treatments like PPIs remedied her symptoms temporarily but never cured the underlying problem. Finally, a holistic doctor had her take a non-invasive breath test, diagnosed her with SIBO, and started her on a plant-based diet. The article goes on to discuss the pandemic’s impact on Henson’s mental and physical wellbeing.
Understanding Post-infection Irritable Bowel Syndrome
In a recent Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News review article, Mayo Clinic researchers review the risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment modalities for PI-IBS, which is developed in about 1 in 10 individuals after an episode of infectious gastroenteritis.
Phone App Might Ease Use of FODMAP Diets
Researchers from Belgium have found that using a smartphone app might be the key to making the low-FODMAP diet viable for control of IBS. After the eight-week study, patients who used the app achieved “meaningful improvements in quality of life and reduction in psychological comorbidities.”
