Early Colonoscopy Screening Can Prevent Colon Cancer

Research specialists from the American College of Gastroenterology report that not enough people in the US go in to get screened for color cancer. Colon cancer prevention screening saves lives. Yet colorectal screening rates remain very low even though Medicare and many private plans pay for screening tests. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention said that there were only 41 percent of men and women over the age of 50 who had colonoscopy screenings in the last five years.

Other gastrointestinal problems like heartburn, otherwise known as acid or gastroesophageal reflux disease affects many Americans from all age groups

Part of the reason for people not getting colorectal screenings is that it is not a comfortable and simple procedure. However, early screening can save lives because colon cancer can be treated. When a colonoscopy is performed a gastroenterologist looks inside the colon for pre-cancerous growths that are called colon polyps. Colon cancer is prevented when the growths or polyps are removed early during the colonoscopy screening.

The American College of Gastroenterology recommends that people over the age of 50 get a colonoscopy screening every 10 years. They also say that other alternative screenings are available. There is an annual stool test for blood and also a flexible sigmoidoscopic exam that is every 5 years. The sigmoidoscopic exam however does not allow for the image and removal of the polyps or other abdominal adhesions.

If you have a family history of colon cancer it is recommend that you start at age 40 or 10 years younger then the age of the youngest relative who was first diagnosed with colon cancer. African Americans should begin screenings at the age of 45. For more information about colon cancer prevention, contact your local gastroenterology specialists to learn more.

 

High-Fiber Diets Prevent Polyps

High-fiber diets may help prevent colon cancer, according to new results from the Polyp Prevention Trial reported by a recent Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine article. Previous studies yielded ambiguous findings about whether fiber could reduce the recurrence of colon polyps, which are often a first indication of colon cancer and sometimes Celiac disease.

Correlation found between colon cancer prevention and high-fruit-and-vegetable diet

The new report looked at participants who were the most compliant to a high-fruit-and-vegetable diet, finding that the diet reduced their odds of abdominal adhesions as well as polyp recurrence by up to 35 percent and reduced their odds of advanced polyp recurrence almost 50 percent. The 1,905 participants were at least 35 years old and had at least one confirmed colorectal polyp. The test diet limited fat to 20 percent of calories, with 18 grams of fiber and 3.5 servings of fruits and vegetables per 1,000 calories.

In previous studies, plant-based and vegetarian diets have been associated with a much lower incidence of the development of colon polyps and colon cancer. For more information about colon cancer prevention, contact your local gastroenterologist to learn more.

 

Aspirin Helps Colorectal Cancer Patients

The many uses for the common aspirin are numerous: it helps with aches and pains, reduces fever, and is recommended for preventing heart attacks and strokes and now aspirin can help colorectal cancer patients. MSNBC recently reports that aspirin is noted for its anticancer effects which suggest that regular aspirin use may help lower the risk of colon polyps however, a study published in this week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association is linking aspirin use and colon cancer survival. Whether or not aspirin has beneficial effects on other gastrointestinal diseases such as Celiac disease is yet to be seen.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease And Colon Cancer Affect Tens Of Thousands Of Americans Every Year

Being the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States after lung cancer, nearly 50,000 Americans will die from colorectal cancer each year according to the National Cancer Institute estimates. The study showed that patients with colorectal cancer who used aspirin on a regular basis before and after a diagnosis were almost one-third less likely to die of the disease than non aspirin users.

The research was observational, meaning researchers simply observed what patients were already doing, such as taking aspirin regularly for headaches. They looked at about 1,300 people with colorectal cancer who’d been followed for an average of 12 years. All the patients in the study had surgery for colon cancer and some had chemotherapy treatments.

The study adds a new, incredibly cost-effective dimension to colon cancer prevention by offering colorectal cancer patients a way to help themselves for such pennies a day. About one-third of the tumors could be tested for Cox-2. Aspirin helped only those patients whose tumors tested positive for the enzyme. Which would make sense since aspirin blocks the enzyme, which is thought to play a role in cancer’s spread. Patients with cancer and colon polyps should always discuss with their doctors before adding a treatment to their health regimen.

 

Why Celiac Disease Is Getting More Frequently Diagnosed

A new study reported by Nutrition Data suggests that Celiac disease is four times more common today than it was even fifty years ago. That’s an extraordinary finding. And lest we think that this is simply due to an uptick in awareness and diagnosis, the researchers disproved this with a very interesting approach. They tested stored blood samples taken from American soldiers in the 1950s. Only one in every 700 samples contained the antibody that signals celiac disease. Today, about one in 170 people test positive for the antibody.

Celiac is characterized by an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat and other cereal grains. When challenged with gluten, the body’s immune system attacks the cells lining the small intestine causing digestive chaos and nutrient malabsorption. It’s treated by strict avoidance of gluten-containing products. This gastrointestinal disease is different from another common disease called gastroesophageal reflux disease that affects the esophageal and stomach areas of the digestive system.

With regards to the increase in numbers of Celiac disease cases, scientists are stumped. But it strikes me that we might consume a lot more gluten today then they did in the 50s. As anyone trying to avoid gluten can tell you, gluten is in virtually every type of processed food and our diet has become increasingly dominated by processed foods. Perhaps over-exposure to this protein increases the chance of developing an intolerance?

Other possible explanations include environmental and lifestyle changes. As people spend more time indoors (and slather themselves with sunscreen when they go out), vitamin D deficiency has been on the rise, and has been linked with other auto-immune conditions, particularly multiple sclerosis.

Perhaps widespread use of over-the-counter and prescription acid-blockers (unavailable in the 50s) plays a role in this digestive disorder. All that stomach acid we’re suppressing normally helps break down proteins. Incompletely digested proteins could be more likely to provoke an immune reaction, especially if they “leak” into the blood stream from the large intestine.

Perhaps a decrease in our consumption of naturally-fermented foods with beneficial bacteria plays a role? Beneficial bacteria help maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining and prevent large molecules (such as intact proteins) from being absorbed into the bloodstream.

It doesn’t seem like a stretch to imagine that the increase in refined sugar consumption could be related. A high sugar diet can affect the intestinal flora and function as well as determine whether or not an individual develops colon polyps. There are a lot of paths for future inquiry.

The good news is that manufacturers are responding to the growing demand for gluten free products. Avoiding gluten has become fashionable among people without celiac disease as well. A return to unprocessed, whole foods can also make gluten avoidance easier–no mysterious ingredients, no hidden gluten. For more information on Celiac disease and colon cancer prevention contact your local Gastroenterology and Hepatology specialists.

 

Treating Celiac Disease: What Are My Options?

The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet. When a person is first diagnosed with celiac disease, the doctor usually will ask the person to work with a dietitian on a gluten-free diet plan. A dietitian is a health care professional who specializes in food and nutrition. Someone with celiac disease can learn from a dietitian how to read ingredient lists and identify foods that contain gluten in order to make informed decisions at the grocery store and when eating out.

Celiac disease is unrelated to other possible gastrointestinal conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease. For most people suffering from celiac disease, following this diet will stop symptoms, heal existing intestinal damage, and prevent further damage. Improvements begin within days of starting the diet. The small intestine is usually completely healed in 3 to 6 months in children and younger adults and within 2 years for older adults. Completely healed means a person now has villi that can absorb nutrients from food into the bloodstream.

In order to stay well, people with celiac disease must avoid gluten for the rest of their lives. Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage the small intestine. The damage will occur in anyone with the disease, including people without noticeable symptoms. Depending on a person’s age at diagnosis, some problems will not improve, such as delayed growth, tooth discoloration, and the presence of colon polyps, if any.

Some people with celiac disease show no improvement on the gluten-free diet. The condition is called unresponsive celiac disease. The most common reason for poor response is that small amounts of gluten are still present in the diet. Advice from a dietitian who is skilled in educating patients about the gluten-free diet is essential to achieve best results.

Rarely, the intestinal injury will continue despite a strictly gluten-free diet. People in this situation have severely damaged intestines that cannot heal. Because their intestines are not absorbing enough nutrients, they may need to directly receive nutrients into their bloodstream through a vein (intravenously). People with this condition may need to be evaluated for complications of the disease. Researchers are now evaluating drug treatments for unresponsive celiac disease. For additional information on treating celiac disease and colon cancer prevention, please contact your local gastrointestinal specialists.

 

 

Celiac Disease Awareness Month is Now

Medical News Today reports that Celiac Disease Awareness Month which runs throughout May is raising awareness of this common worldwide genetic disease, affecting as many as one percent of the United States population. 

Simply put, Los celiac disease or celiac sprue is an autoimmune disease of the digestive system, according to an article in the Cleveland Jewish News. For those affected, gluten – a protein found in commonly consumed grains like wheat, rye, and barley – triggers an immune response in otherwise well-behaved antibodies. In this situation, antibodies attack and suppress villi – small hair-like structures that line the inside of the intestine – preventing them from doing the important work of pulling nutrients and vitamins from the food we eat.

Celiac disease doesn’t just masquerade as other conditions; like gastroesophageal reflux disease it can go undiagnosed for a lifetime, leaving those afflicted to live in discomfort for years. Vague symptoms include weight loss or weight gain, headache, depression, fatigue and stomach issues; the disease often gets mistaken for lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome. Often it yields serious conditions like stomach cancer, osteoporosis, and lymphoma.

And that’s a real shame, because celiac disease isn’t just manageable; its damage is mostly reversible through adherence to a gluten-free diet. By eliminating wheat/rye flour-based breads, cakes and pastas, as well as watching out for hidden sources of gluten (breadcrumbs, soy sauces, certain brands of toothpaste, to name a few), the body is able to repair its villi and in turn properly nourish itself.

Along with many people in the US suffering from colon polyps, an estimated one in 133 Americans has celiac disease, making it one of the most common genetic conditions in the world. But here’s the shocker: About 97% of those affected don’t know they have it. Imagine how senselessly dangerous it would be if 97% of people who needed glasses didn’t wear them.

Ridding your diet of gluten as part of a conscientious colon cancer prevention plan is meant to improve quality of life, not destroy it. In time, learning to adapt the foods you love while keeping your digestive tract safe won’t just be easy, it’ll be second nature.

Celiac sufferers have been lobbying for better and more widely available products, and by the looks of well-stocked store shelves from Whole Foods to Walmart, we’re winning. As rice and quinoa pastas, yogurts, gluten-free flour blends, and even pizzas become more readily available, it’s clear celiac disease is no longer a dietary death sentence. And that’s without even counting mouthwatering naturally gluten-free foods like fresh, crisp watermelon or sharp cheddar cheese.

 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!