Top Story

• Study shows only 20% of patients begin HCV treatments
  There are effective antiviral treatments for hepatitis C, but a data review showed only 20% of people diagnosed with the condition begin therapy and fewer than 5% eradicate the virus, according to research from the Washington University School of Medicine. Substance abuse and depression are barriers preventing people from getting treatment, along with lack of transportation, insufficient social support systems and inadequate housing. Health Behavior News Service (12/10)

Guide to Healthy Living

• Undeclared food allergens lead to many recalls, report says
  Undeclared food allergens have prompted more than 400 product recalls since 2009, ABC News says. Food manufacturers are required to clearly list the top eight allergens on product labels, but products that do not contain allergens may become cross-contaminated in the factory, leading to reactions from unsuspecting consumers. ABC News (12/10)

• Eating more salt may raise odds of childhood obesity
  Children and teens who had more salt in their diet were more likely than peers who consumed less salt to drink more beverages, including sugar-sweetened beverages, an Australian study found. Researchers reported that drinking at least a serving of a sugary drink per day was linked to a 26% higher risk of being overweight and obese. WebMD (12/10)

• Reducing fat consumption without otherwise dieting may facilitate weight loss
  People who replaced high-fat foods with low-fat alternatives showed significant improvements in BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure and cholesterol levels, according to a study by researchers at the University of East Anglia. They found the weight loss was consistent across the trials they studied and was maintained for at least seven years. HealthDay News (12/7)

• Vitamin D, calcium don't fight dementia, study finds
  Taking vitamin D and calcium supplements together may not protect older women from dementia, a study found. Researchers looked at data on 4,100 older women and found similar rates of mild cognitive impairment between the group who took vitamin D and calcium supplements and the group who took placebo for an average of eight years. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (free registration)/Reuters (12/7)

• Woman says fecal transplant quickly ended C. diff symptoms
  Melissa Cabral says she developed severe recurrent C. difficile infections after being treated with antibiotics for a root canal, but was cured after having a fecal transplant procedure performed Dr. Colleen Kelly in Providence, R.I. Cabral said the results were astounding. "I feel fine now. Amazing. The next day I felt no symptoms," she said. WJAR-TV (Cranston, R.I.) (12/6)

Diagnosis & Treatment

• Study links H. pylori gastritis to colonic lesions
  U.S. researchers reported in The American Journal of Gastroenterology that colonic lesions are associated with Helicobacter pylori gastritis. Researchers said the risk increased with the stage of the neoplasm, as well as with the size and numbers of adenomas, but that location of lesions was not a factor. Colonic lesions include hyperplastic polyps, adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancer. MedWire News (U.K.) (12/6)

• Study: Video capsule endoscopy may diagnose celiac disease
  U.S. researchers studied the efficacy of using video capsule endoscopy to diagnose celiac disease rather than the usual esophagogastroduodenoscopy and biopsy. All eight patients in the study were diagnosed with celiac disease by VCE. Four who also had EGD and biopsy had negative results and two had conflicting readings, but all patients showed classic mucosal changes with VCE, and seven who received follow-up evaluation had improved using a gluten-free diet. Celiac.com (12/10)

• Aspirin may boost survival among older colon cancer patients
  Colon cancer patients aged 70 and older who took low-dose aspirin regularly had a better chance of surviving than non-aspirin users, according to a Dutch study. The impact of aspirin on survival was more pronounced among those with more advanced cancer as well as those who didn't undergo chemotherapy, researchers said. Reuters (12/7)

Clinical Trial Monitor

A selection of U.S. based clinical trials seeking participants

• The Plecanatide Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation Study (IBS-C) (CIBS)
  California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma. clinicaltrials.gov

• Irinotecan Plus E7820 Versus FOLFIRI in Second-Line Therapy in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Colon or Rectal Cancer
  Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, North Dakota, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Peru, Russia, Ukraine. clinicaltrials.gov

• Oxaliplatin, Leucovorin Calcium, and Fluorouracil With or Without Celecoxib in Treating Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer Previously Treated With Surgery
  Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Canada. clinicaltrials.gov

• Safety and Efficacy of Sofosbuvir/GS-5885 Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC) +/-Ribavirin for the Treatment of HCV
  Alabama, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, France, Germany, Italy, Puerto Rico, Spain, United Kingdom. clinicaltrials.gov

• Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Adult Database 2
  California, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Washington. clinicaltrials.gov

The Last Word

News and information from the American College of Gastroenterology

• Constipation sufferers: Fiber to the rescue
  While everyone's had a bout of constipation at one point, eating a high-fiber diet can help alleviate the symptoms and promote normal bowel function. Learn more about fiber, its benefits and which foods you should eat to increase your fiber intake.

SmartQuote

While conscience is our friend, all is at peace; however, once it is offended, farewell to a tranquil mind." --Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, British writer and aristocrat