The best interviews of the year (so far)

From CMS challenges to hepatitis outbreaks, FDA approvals to debates over colonoscopy benefit, Healio has been at the forefront of gastroenterology coverage in 2022, alongside a bevy of experts who shared their unique insights with us.

While some experts addressed the unique GI characteristics found in new cases of mpox, others highlighted the dangers of social media misinformation and the often-overlooked need for education and advocacy among young adults with inflammatory bowel disease.

Healio brings you a handpicked selection of our most thought-provoking and informative interviews from 2022 with key opinion leaders and burgeoning experts in the field.

‘Dry January’ provides opportunity to reevaluate drinking for liver, overall health

Many individuals look to the new year to follow through their resolutions such as diet and exercise and some are now attempting ‘Dry January’, to reset after a holiday full of drinking.

“For the average person who doesn’t have alcohol-related health consequences, 1 month is like going to the spa for a month of health concentration,” Nancy S. Reau, MD, FAASLD, AGAF, The Richard B. Capps Chair of Hepatology and professor of digestive diseases and nutrition in the department of internal medicine at Rush University, told Healio. “Relook in February with a new perspective. Are you going to resume drinking safely, or are you going to go back to drinking the same way you were before? Dry January shouldn’t be seen as something miraculous.” Read more.

‘Does your gut even need healing?’: Dietitian debunks myths in trending gut health hacks

In the age of the internet and social media, one thing we can always count on is having access to a lot of information. But what happens when that information is not entirely accurate and does more damage than good?

We have seen this recently with the gut microbiome and gut health. TikTok, in particular, has become a focal point for social media influencers to share stories about gut health struggles and “hacks to heal your gut” under hashtags such as #guttok, #guthealth and #guthealing. Read more.

Will Congress act to extend, expand telehealth coverage beyond COVID-19?

With the onset of COVID-19, health care providers implemented telemedicine to safely expand care to patients and comply with public health guidelines.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently acted in the best interests of patients and health care providers by covering telehealth services through 2023. But what will happen to telehealth coverage after 2023? Read more.

Expert recommends vaccination, booster for immunocompromised IBD patients

Regardless of immunosuppression medication status, most patients with inflammatory bowel disease mounted a high-positive antibody response to the standard SARS-CoV-2 vaccination regimen, according to research.

“Immunosuppressive medications represent a mainstay of therapy in moderate to severe IBD; however, their impact on the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine response remains unclear,” Sarah Frey, a graduate student in the department of surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. “The aim of this study was to assess anti-spike antibody response 6 months after completion of standard SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with IBD.” Read more.

Drinking pickle juice may reduce muscle cramp severity in patients with cirrhosis

Pickle juice consumed at the onset of muscle cramps improved severity but did not prevent future cramps in patients with cirrhosis, according to research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Healio spoke with study author Elliot B. Tapper, MD, of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Michigan, about the study and how the results may inform the care of patients with cirrhotic cramps going forward. Read more.

‘The water is recycled’: Splash pads reduce child drowning risk, boost diarrhea outbreaks

Splash pads for children at water parks offer less risk for drowning, but inadequate disinfection and poor toileting/hygiene skills create a hub for gastrointestinal illness outbreaks, noted data in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“Splash pads are popping up everywhere,” Michele C. Hlavsa, MPH, an epidemiologist and chief of the CDC Healthy Swimming Program, told Healio. “I suspect that the public doesn’t know that the water is recirculated and recycled. Sitting on jets, drinking water from jets — those are great ways to spread germs or transmit germs that cause diarrhea.” Read more.

‘The search for answers continues,’ expert says about hepatitis outbreak in children

As the WHO continues its investigation into an outbreak of severe, acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children aged 1 month to 16 years, more questions than answers remain.

Healio spoke with John W. Ward, MD, director of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, a program launched in 2019 by the Task Force for Global Health, about the outbreak and emerging data on adenovirus, which has been cited as a potential cause. Read more.

FDA approval of dupilumab for eosinophilic esophagitis a ‘victory for rare diseases’

The FDA has approved the use of dupilumab for treating eosinophilic esophagitis in adults and children aged 12 years and older, making it the first drug in the U.S. specifically indicated for this condition.

Healio spoke with Marc E. Rothenberg, MD, PhD, director of the division of allergy and immunology, Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, to find out how this approval will impact the treatment and outcomes of EoE. Read more.

‘Rectal pain, perianal lesions’ linked to monkeypox as outbreak exceeds 60,000 cases

As monkeypox case counts continue to expand globally, a series of potentially new clinical symptoms have begun to emerge, a development that may bring gastroenterologists to the forefront of care for this evolving outbreak.

The United States has now recorded more than 24,572 confirmed cases of monkeypox/orthopoxvirus since May, according to the CDC. With 64,916 cases worldwide, including 64,336 cases in countries where the disease is not endemic, on July 23, the WHO director-general declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — the same designation that was assigned to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in January 2020. Read more.

Education, advocacy critical for young adults with IBD ‘to thrive’

Adolescents and young adults with inflammatory bowel diseases are a growing demographic with more than 25% of patients diagnosed before age 16, according to research published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

However, with this burgeoning group of young patients comes the urgent need to ensure adequate care and quality of life are maintained as they transition from pediatric care to adult care model. Read more.

Overcoming health disparities in celiac disease: ‘We can’t do this alone’

Only half of Americans reported being aware of celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity, with Black Americans reporting least awareness of this disease, according to “eye-opening” results from The Harris Poll on behalf of Beyond Celiac.

Although celiac disease was previously thought to affect predominantly Caucasian populations, a 2018 systematic review published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology demonstrated that celiac disease can – and does – exist among all ethnic groups. Awareness of these comparable disease risks have not been disseminated among minority groups, indicating possible health inequities in both diagnosis and treatment. Read more.

Mediterranean diet for NAFLD goes beyond just following a food list

The Mediterranean diet, which may help reverse the early stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, requires patience, practice and the development of new life skills, according to one expert dietician.

“As part of my role as a dietitian specializing in gastroenterology and liver nutrition, I have developed a webinar and a three-part series, along with handouts, for how to implement the Mediterranean diet in treatment for NAFLD,” Neha D. Shah MPH, RD, CNSC, CHES, a dietician at the University of California, San Francisco, and owner of Neha Shah Nutrition, told Healio. “The educational series will cover nutritional contributors to NAFLD as well as practical applications of how to implement the Mediterranean diet.” Read more.

Digestive Health Physicians Association names first female president, board chair

The Digestive Health Physicians Association has named Latha Alaparthi, MD, FACG, AGAF, its first female president and chair of the board of directors. She previously served as the organization’s vice president.

Alaparthi, who directs committee operations at PACT Gastroenterology Center in Hamden, Connecticut, will work with the Digestive Health Physicians Association (DHPA) executive committee to advance the organization’s health policy efforts of promoting and preserving financially accessible care in the independent gastroenterological medical practice setting. Read more.