Latest news with #ulcerativeColitis
Medscape
03-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Certain Plant-Based Foods May Cut Crohn's Disease Risk
TOPLINE: A high combined intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes was associated with a reduced risk for Crohn's disease — driven largely by specific foods such as apples or pears, bananas, mushrooms, and onions or garlic. Alternatively, a high intake of potatoes was associated with an increased risk for ulcerative colitis. METHODOLOGY: The International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease recommends eating more fruits and vegetables for their fiber benefits, but current guidelines do not distinguish between subcategories despite their differing compositions and potential effects on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) risk. Researchers analyzed data of 341,519 participants without IBD (mean age, 52.1 years; 70% women) from a popular European cohort to evaluate how consumption of individual fruits, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes influenced the risk for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. At baseline, validated food frequency questionnaires were used to assess dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes (including other tubers). Participants in the lowest vs highest quartiles had median daily intakes of 291.6 vs 840.9 g/d of combined fruits, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes; 17.0 vs 100.3 g/d of apples/pears; 6.6 vs 14.0 g/d of bananas; 2.1 vs 6.2 g/d of mushrooms; 4.1 vs 11.9 g/d of onions or garlic; and 64.7 vs 82.1 g/d of potatoes. TAKEAWAY: The median follow-up period was 13.4 years, during which 149 participants developed Crohn's disease and 379 developed ulcerative colitis. A higher combined intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes was associated with a lower risk of developing Crohn's disease (highest vs lowest quartile; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26-0.76) but not ulcerative colitis (aHR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.76-1.50). A subsequent post hoc analysis showed that the pooled intake of apples or pears, bananas, mushrooms, and onions or garlic was linked to a comparable risk reduction for Crohn's disease as total fruit, vegetable, legume, and potato intake (highest vs lowest quartile; pooled aHR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.33-1.02). However, a higher intake of potatoes was associated with a higher risk of developing ulcerative colitis (highest vs lowest quartile; aHR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.05-2.17). IN PRACTICE: 'In conclusion, we found that high combined intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes is associated with a lower risk of developing CD but not UC. This was particularly apparent for apple/pear, banana, mushrooms, and onion/garlic intakes. A higher risk of UC was observed for a higher intake of potatoes,' the authors of the study wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Antoine Meyer, MD, PhD, Université Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France. It was published online in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. LIMITATIONS: This study relied on food frequency questionnaires measured only at baseline, which may not have fully captured dietary changes over time. The mostly older, female population may not have represented the broader European or younger populations. As with all observational studies, residual confounding from unmeasured factors could not be ruled out. DISCLOSURES: The cohort was supported by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, and other sources. Some authors declared receiving speaker fees, grants, consulting fees, and travel support from various pharmaceutical companies. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Glastonbury festival: 'My stoma won't stop me enjoying myself'
Outfits picked, backpack packed, tickets at the ready - like anyone else heading for Glastonbury this week, Lucy Smith-Butler is gearing up for one of the biggest events in the festival she has one other consideration - packing the essentials for her stoma 26-year-old had surgery to get the stoma bag fitted when she was 19, two years after being diagnosed with a bowel disease called ulcerative colitis, a long-term condition which causes inflammation of parts of the digestive stoma, a small hole in her abdomen, removes the waste from her body into the fitted bag, which Lucy has to regularly empty. Over the past few days, she has been sharing her festival prep with her 21,000 TikTok followers."I'm just excited to see it," she says, referencing what will be her first Glastonbury experience."I love festivals because you just disappear from reality for a while." This may be Lucy's first experience of Glastonbury, but she has been a festival enthusiast since she was 13 years she says attending events before she had her surgery was difficult."I just didn't know what the facilities would be like," she says."But then as soon as I had my stoma bag, I was like, 'Oh, right well, let's make this work again.'"Lucy's condition means she has additional access needs and requires a clean space to change her stoma bag, as well as access to disabled toilets. She says it's not always been a pleasant experience, recalling one instance where she says she had to physically show a steward her stoma bag before she was allowed to use an accessible of the biggest problems Lucy says she faces is dirty festival toilets - even the accessible ones which are used less."I just changed my stoma bag in my tent most of the time, just because I know who's been in there, and it feels like the cleanest place," she says."There should be places for us that are clean and are up to these standards."Lucy is hoping that will be the case this week, and has so far been impressed with her experience of arranging her accessibility needs at Glastonbury. She says she booked her tickets as normal and then contacted the festival to arrange access to the areas says there are no separate weekend tickets for festival-goers with access requirements, but they are committed to being an event which is accessible to all. Anyone needing to use any of the access facilities must complete the festival's online access application form, and have either a valid access card or the digital Glastonbury access access card translates a person's disability or impairment into symbols, to communicate their access needs to the venues and service providers."The process for Glastonbury was a lot more thorough than any other festival that I've ever been to," Lucy of the festival, she was sent a wristband with a code number on to be able to get into the accessible toilets - something she says she has never seen at a festival her large social media following, Lucy says she is determined to raise awareness of what it's like to go to festivals and other big events with a stoma bag, or other accessibility needs. Her followers often reach out to her for advice, she says, adding that her top tips are to:Contact the festival as soon as you have booked your tickets"Prepare, prepare, prepare" – prepare for everything that might happenCarry all your supplies with you all the timeGo with friends who are supportive and understand your needsAnd most importantly: don't forget to enjoy yourself As well as being able to share her experiences and advice online, Lucy says her social media presence has helped her to make friends at festivals too."I was literally bawling my eyes out," she says as she remembers a chance meeting with someone who had decided to attend their very first festival after finding Lucy's social media page."When you know you've helped someone, it just feels really nice."Ultimately, Lucy says the best thing to do as someone feeling nervous about going to a festival, but wanting to see what it's like, is just to give it a the difficulties she has experienced both before and after her surgery, Lucy says she now "can't imagine a world where I wouldn't go"."The worst that can happen is that I might have a leak, and then I'll just sort it out," she says."You've just got to try it."
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Gaz Beadle's ex Emma McVey shares health update two years after heart surgery and colitis battle
GARY Beadle's ex wife Emma McVey has given fans an update on her health - two years on from her heart surgery and colitis battle. The mum-of-two has revealed she is no longer on any medication and has completely overhauled her diet. 4 The 32-year-old was quizzed about her health during a Q&A with fans - and explained: 'Actually on no medication anymore, I hated being on so many tablets and injections so I changed my lifestyle and diet. 'I can say it's worked for over a year now. I'll start posting more of the vitamins and supplements that I take daily, along with the foods I make that also made a huge difference.' Emma - who split from Gaz in October 2023 - underwent open heart surgery in January of that year. The model had no idea she'd been born with three holes in her heart until a monitor was fitted following her second pregnancy. She'd suffered years of seizures, exhaustion and fainting episodes - but while the diagnosis was illuminating, medics were cautious about operating because Emma is also battling ulcerative colitis. The condition, which affects roughly one in 420 in the UK, causes ulcers and inflammation in the digestive tract. The steroid treatment used to treat it can lead to bone loss and breakage, which doctors warned could stop Emma's bones fusing back together. She was originally due to have surgery in November 2021 - four months after her wedding to Gary - but it was postponed when her colitis worsened. Around Christmas time of 2023 her tricuspid valve - the valve between the two right chambers of the heart - further deteriorated, and the decision was made to proceed with the op in spite of the risks. She later said of the op: 'I knew in surgery I'd be connected to a heart machine that would be keeping me alive while my heart was stopped, and I kept thinking, 'They're not going to be able to start my heart again'. Emma McVey on Colitis 'I thought, 'I'm going to get put to sleep and I'm not coming back out'.' Emma - who shares Chester and Primrose with Gaz - is now in a new relationship with new partner James, who she has been with for over a year. 4 4 What is Ulcerative Colitis? Here's what you need to know about Ulcerative Colitis.. Colitis is a condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed. The colon is the large intestine, or bowel, and the rectum is the end of the bowel where stools are stored. Ulcers can develop on the colon's lining and bleed and produce pus. Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis that is caused by autoimmune inflammation (the body attacking itself), whereas colitis can be caused by a number of factors including infection. Ulcerative colitis is similar to another condition which causes inflammation of the gut - Crohn's disease. Symptoms can often be very mild for weeks or months but flare ups with extreme symptoms can cause a lot of pain and trouble for sufferers.
Medscape
06-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Obefazimod Shows Long-Term Benefits in Ulcerative Colitis
Obefazimod 50 mg once daily demonstrated efficacy in patients with moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC), with 52.5% achieved clinical remission at 96 weeks of open-label maintenance treatment with improvement in endoscopy scores and faecal calprotectin levels. METHODOLOGY: Obefazimod is an investigational oral small molecule that enhances the expression of a single micro-RNA regulating the inflammatory response. In a phase 2b, randomised placebo-controlled 8-week induction trial, obefazimod at three different doses achieved the primary endpoint in patients with moderate to severely active UC. This 96-week open-label maintenance study was conducted including 217 patients (mean age, 42.1 years; 61.3% men) with moderate to severely active UC who were recruited at 69 study centres in 14 countries. All participants received 50 mg obefazimod once daily, regardless of their previous treatment and irrespective of their clinical response at the end of the induction trial. After week 48, patients who showed clinical response, defined as a decrease in the modified Mayo score ≥ 2 points and ≥ 30% from baseline plus a decrease in the rectal bleeding subscore ≥ 1 or absolute rectal bleeding subscore ≤ 1, continued the treatment up to week 96. Efficacy endpoints included rates of clinical remission, clinical response, endoscopic improvement, and endoscopic remission, along with the change in the stool frequency and faecal calprotectin levels from baseline of the maintenance study, assessed using non-responder imputation for missing data. Safety measures comprised the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), treatment-emergent serious adverse events (TESAEs), discontinuations due to TEAEs, drug-related SAEs, and clinically significant laboratory abnormalities. TAKEAWAY: Of the 217 patients, 164 completed the study at week 96. By weeks 48 and 96, 81.6% and 72.8% of patients achieved a clinical response and 54.8% and 52.5% achieved clinical remission, respectively; endoscopic improvement was seen in 59.0% of patients and endoscopic remission seen in 35.9% at week 96. Faecal calprotectin levels decreased from a median of 204.7 µg/g at baseline in the maintenance study to 89.6 µg/g at week 96, and 61.9% of patients achieved levels below 150 µg/g at week 96. At both weeks 48 and 96, the proportion of patients who achieved the efficacy endpoints was numerically higher among those who showed a clinical response at week 8 than among those who did not. A proportion of patients also achieved corticosteroid-free endoscopic improvement and remission. Overall, 68.2% of patients experienced at least one TEAE, with the most common being COVID-19 infection (14.3%) and headache (11.5%). TESAEs occurred in 8.3% of patients, and 7.8% discontinued because of TEAEs. No new safety signals or clinically meaningful changes in laboratory parameters were noted. IN PRACTICE: "[The study] findings suggest that long-term treatment with obefazimod provides continued improvement of clinical symptoms of the disease," the authors of the study wrote. "Although the central evaluation of endoscopy data reduced the risk of bias in this open-label study, the results must be interpreted with caution due to the absence of a control group," they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Severine Vermeire, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. It was published online on May 26, 2025, in the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis . LIMITATIONS: Steroid cycling was not considered in the non-responder imputation method, which may have limited the interpretation of corticosteroid-free outcomes. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by Abivax S.A. Seven authors reported being employees of Abivax. One author reported owning stocks in Abivax. Several authors reported receiving consultancy and/or speaking fees and grants and being consultants and advisory board members for various pharmaceutical companies.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
New once-a-month jab can eliminate distressing symptoms for patients with severe bowel diseases like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis in only three months
Patients with severe bowel disease are set to benefit from a new drug that can eliminate their distressing symptoms in only three months. The once-a-month jab, guselkumab, treats Crohn's and ulcerative colitis, two debilitating conditions which occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the gut and other parts of the body. The medicine binds to immune cells that cause this damage, significantly reducing symptoms. Studies show that more than half of patients with Crohn's – an aggressive condition which can damage the gut as well as the mouth, stomach, and anus – were symptom-free within 12 weeks of starting guselkumab. About a quarter of patients with ulcerative colitis, where the damage is limited to the gut, experienced a similar benefit after beginning the treatment. Earlier this month, the drug safety watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, gave the green light for guselkumab to be prescribed in the UK to patients who have failed to respond to other treatments. It is likely to be rolled out on the NHS within the next year. About half-a-million people in the UK suffer with Crohn's, which causes severe pain, diarrhoea, exhaustion and weight loss. It can also trigger pain in the joints, anus and eyes. About a third of patients living with the condition, where the gut lining becomes inflamed, will require surgery. Ulcerative colitis affects roughly 146,000 people in the UK. Symptoms include diarrhoea, blood in the poo, and regularly needing to go to the toilet. Both conditions can be controlled by drugs called biologics. These injections limit the damage caused by the immune system to the body. However, not all patients respond to them. The NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, is currently deciding whether to fund guselkumab. Experts say the £2,250-a-month jab will be a lifeline and crucial addition to the Health Service's bowel disease treatments.
