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An AI-assisted colonoscopy gets FDA approval
MAGENTIQ-COLO received the 510(k) clearance to improve adenoma detection rates. The device already received Europen CE Mark. Artificial intelligence assistance increased the adenoma detection rates by 26% in a comprehensive study. These results translate to a 21% reduction in colorectal cancer rates and a 35% reduction in mortality due to colorectal cancer.
PR Newswire

ChatGPT fails gastroenterology tests
Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer did not pass the self-assessment test from the American College of Gastroenterology, as per a study. ChatGPT-1 and ChatGPT-4 scores 65.1% and 62.4%, while 70% and higher were required to pass the test. Researchers suggest that this artificial intelligence-based tool should not be implemented for medical education in gastroenterology.
Health Day

New advice on managing swallowed things like magnets and razors
Experts are urged to take a conservative approach to deal with such patients. The decision to remove such objects should depend on the risk rather than the length. However, objects longer than 6 cm should be removed. Higher-risk cases can be managed with endoscopy. A multidisciplinary approach should be used for people who swallow objects for secondary gains.
GVS

Appendicitis could be a warning sign for colon cancer!
A population-based study on more than 230,000 patients with acute appendicitis revealed that colon cancer cases were higher in the appendicitis group, particularly in the first year after appendicitis, compared to that in the control group. This association was even stronger for right-sided colon cancer. The risk was six times higher in patients aged 40 years and above.
Twitter @rocatanho

FDA approves upadacitinib for treating Crohn's disease
RINVOQ® (upadacitinib) got approval for treating moderate to severe Crohn's disease in adults who did not respond to or are intolerant to one or more anti-TNF therapies. It is now indicated for both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. This approval becomes the seventh approval for this selective JAK inhibitor across gastroenterology, dermatology, and rheumatology.
AbbVie

FDA alerts about serious safety issues with NASH drug
The oral drug called obeticholic acid, which is used for treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, was found to increase the chances of diabetes and liver injury. The drug was approved in 2016 for primary biliary cholangitis, but its use was restricted by the FDA for severe cirrhosis in 2021. The FDA alert caused a 22% drop in Intercept Pharmaceuticals' shares.
Twitter @Reuters

A swallowable gastric balloon to deal with obesity
The new treatment combines a surgery-less gastric balloon placement and a common anto-obesity drug, liraglutide. It is built on a swallowable vegan capsule filled with liquid after reaching the stomach through a 20-minute outpatient procedure. It stays for 15 to 17 weeks and is excreted naturally. The drug will be added once daily to improve weight loss.
Tribune India

Antibiotic prophylaxis may not be necessary for alcoholic hepatitis
Mortality in patients with alcohol-related hepatitis treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate and prednisolone was 17.3% after 60 days compared to 21.3% in patients treated with a placebo, with a non-significant improvement in survival, as per a study. These findings advise against prophylactic use of antibiotics in hospitalized patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis.
Twitter @JAMA_current

How obesity affects the risk of digestive cancers?
Another cohort study revealed that BMI measures suggesting overweight and obesity in wary and middle adulthood were associated with a higher risk of developing colorectal and non-colorectal gastrointestinal cancers. Moreover, increasing or maintaining BMI measures indicating obesity or overweight were also linked to an increased risk of digestive cancers.
Twitter @JAMANetworkOpen

AGA updates the guidelines on managing extraesophageal GERD
The guidelines urge gastroenterologists to be aware of extraesophageal symptoms of GERD, like chronic cough, laryngitis, dental erosions, and asthma. A multidisciplinary approach should be developed for diagnosis based on symptoms and endoscopic tests before initiating proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Patients with such symptoms should be given initial twice-daily PPI therapy.
Twitter @aegastro