WGO is pleased to present a revamped approach to your bi-weekly News You Can Use brief. The highlight of each edition will now be our What's Hot in the Literature section, featuring curated trending journal articles with concise summaries and commentary from our Editorial Board members. These brief reads aim to kickstart your week with global gastroenterology highlights, allowing you to explore further at your convenience. We believe this refreshed approach will prove valuable to you and your colleagues, enabling a more connected and informed experience within the global gastroenterology community.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

WHAT'S HOT IN THE LITERATURE

Early surgery for Crohn's disease

Gastroenterology
Therapeutic options for inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease (CD), have expanded in recent times. Many newer biological agents and small molecules have received approval for CD, and others are in the pipeline. While early use of biological therapy may reduce progressive disease and prevent bowel damage, it comes at a cost. Prolonged biologic therapy comes with the risks of loss of response, adverse effects, and financial toxicity. Read More

Review by Prof. Vishal Sharma (India)

Which Africans with chronic hepatitis B should receive antivirals?
Nature Communications
Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, and the presence of cirrhosis is a common indication for antiviral treatment. The aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) is a low-cost biomarker for cirrhosis, and the World Health Organization has recommended an APRI cutoff value of ≥ 2.0 for diagnosis of cirrhosis in HBV patients, based mainly on data from Asia. Read More

Review by Prof. Mark Topazian (USA)

GI NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

Study finds conflicts of interest still underreported in GI guidelines

Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News
Underreporting of conflicts of interest still occurs in the field of gastroenterology when it comes to clinical practice guidelines, with as much as 19% of European and U.S. guidelines providing inaccurate COI statements or none at all, according to new research presented at the 2023 annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. Read More

Risk factors of unintentional piecemeal resection in endoscopic mucosal resection for colorectal polyps ≥ 10 mm
Scientific Reports
This study aimed to investigate the lesion and endoscopist factors associated with unintentional endoscopic piecemeal mucosal resection (uniEPMR) of colorectal lesions ≥ 10 mm. uniEPMR was defined from the medical record as anything other than a preoperatively planned EPMR. Factors leading to uniEPMR were identified by retrospective univariate and multivariate analyses of lesions ≥ 10 mm that were treated with endoscopic mucosal resection at three hospitals. Read More

SGLT2 Inhibitors appear protective against GI cancers
Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News
Results of a global network database of patients with Type 2 diabetes suggest that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors could reduce the incident risk for gastrointestinal cancers except pancreatic cancer. In a comparison of SGLT2 and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, patients started on SGLT2 inhibitors had almost a 15% lower risk for these malignancies. Read More

Understanding the landscape: The emergence of artificial intelligence, ChatGPT and Google Bard in gastroenterology
Cureus
Artificial intelligence integration in health care, specifically in gastroenterology, has opened new avenues for enhanced patient care and medical decision-making. This study aims to assess the reliability and accuracy of two prominent AI tools, ChatGPT 4.0 and Google Bard, in answering gastroenterology-related queries, thereby evaluating their potential utility in medical settings. Read More

WGO NEWS

EVENTS CALENDAR

Annual Meeting of the Norwegian Gastroenterology Association 2024
When: February 8-10, 2024
Location: Lilliehammer, Norway
Organizer(s): Norwegian Gastroenterology Association
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HUG 2024
When: March 14-16, 2024
Location: Seoul, Korea
Organizer(s): Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research
Learn More

APASL 2024
When: March 27-31, 2024
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Organizer(s): Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver
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Scrubs and Heels Leadership Conference 2024
When: April 12-14, 2024
Location: Miami, Florida
Organizer(s): Scrubs and Heels
Learn More