Table of contents
February 2006 Volume 3 No 2
Viewpoint
Dietary supplements in the US: pitfalls and safety
60Dietary supplements are increasingly used by a large percentage of the population worldwide. The potential impact of these supplements on our health, however, is not fully understood and their regulation is not controlled as tightly as that of drugs. This viewpoint article discusses the safety concerns and regulatory issues that surround the use of dietary supplements in the US.
Research Highlights
Regular NSAID use might reduce the risk of progression of Barrett's esophagus
62Colonoscopic surveillance of individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer
62Is natalizumab effective as induction or maintenance therapy in Crohn's disease?
62Intravenous versus oral iron supplementation for iron-deficiency anemia
63Steroid injection reduces the need for repeat dilation of esophageal strictures
63Photodynamic therapy improves survival of patients with unresectable bile-duct tumors
64Eradication of childhood H. pylori infection by a novel sequential treatment regimen
64Safety of nurse-administered propofol sedation for endoscopy
65Factors associated with recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplant
65Effect of ghrelin on gastric emptying in diabetic gastroparesis
66Confirmed transmission of HCV via tissues from an antibody-negative donor
66New colonoscope design associated with less procedural pain
66Practice Points
Does patient selection influence the outcome of capsule endoscopy in patients with chronic gastrointestinal bleeding?
68Is adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation a viable option for liver replacement?
70Branched-chain amino-acid granules: can they improve survival in patients with liver cirrhosis?
72How useful is integrated PET and CT for the management of pancreatic cancer?
74Can MRCP replace ERCP in the diagnosis of congenital bile-duct cysts?
76Reviews
Peptic ulcer disease today
80Although the incidence of peptic ulcer disease and ulcer complications has decreased over the past few decades, there has been an increase in ulcer bleeding, especially in elderly patients. The authors of this Review consider the current status of understanding, diagnosis and treatment of peptic ulcer disease, and management issues that remain to be solved.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0393 | Full Text | PDF (196K)
Pathophysiology, diagnosis and current management of chronic constipation
90Constipation is often mild and intermittent, but can be debilitating and require medical consultation. When management with first-line conservative therapy is unsuccessful, additional studies are needed to better understand the underlying pathophysiology. This Review considers the modern principles and therapies used to manage chronic constipation of varying severities.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0406 | Full Text | PDF (220K)
A methodologic analysis of chemoprevention and cancer prevention strategies for gastrointestinal cancer
101One area of gastroenterology that lags behind other specialties in the quality of the evidence base for clinical practice is the prevention of gastrointestinal cancer. In this Review the authors assess the evidence for various cancer prevention strategies, especially chemoprevention, and highlight the obstacles to further exploitation of this knowledge base.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0412 | Full Text | PDF (199K)
Case Study
A patient with long-standing iron-deficient anemia
112doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0413 | Full Text | PDF (206K)
