First-in-Human Trial: Ingestible Pill Accurately Monitors Respiration and Cardiac Activity

Ingestible devices have been researched since the 1950s, and proof-of-concept trials support their ability to measure pH, temperature, and gastrointestinal motility. Giovanni Traverso, MB, BChir, PhD, and colleagues have developed a vitamin-sized pill that measures respiratory rate and heart rate.

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International Consensus: Definition and Diagnostic Criteria for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux

A multidisciplinary group of experts developed a consensus document about the definition and diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). It’s been named the Dubai Definition and Diagnostic Criteria of LPR after the conference’s location where it was first presented.

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High BMI Portends Increased Risk for Certain Bariatric Procedures

Illustrations of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy on white background

Brigham researchers presented the results of a study that aimed to stratify the risks of bariatric surgery at the American College of Surgeons’ Clinical Congress 2023. Ali Tavakkoli, MD, who led the study, explains the risk profile of bariatric procedures is changing as surgeons operate on heavier and heavier patients.

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Preoperative Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Influence Outcomes of Colorectal Surgery

Joel S. Weissman, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Clancy J. Clark, MD, of Wake Forest Baptist Health, and colleagues say patients with ADRD required longer hospital stays, were more likely to be readmitted, and were more likely to have postoperative complications than patients with normal cognitive function.

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Review: The Role of Digital Technology in Surgical Home Hospital Programs

Boston area experts recently commented on the digital technologies they’re using in a pilot of a surgical home hospital in bariatric surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

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Low-Dose Interleukin 2 Shows Promise for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

Human interleukin-2 in complex with interleukin-2 receptor

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently published data from an open-label phase 1b/2a trial suggesting induction therapy with low-dose IL-2 is safe for patients with ulcerative colitis and suppresses the disease.

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TNF Inhibitors Not Very Effective Against Axial Spondyloarthritis in Patients With IBD

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a common extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Anti-TNF agents are often used to treat concomitant axSpA and IBD. Brigham researchers have presented evidence that TNF inhibitors are less effective for axSpA than for IBD within one year.

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Tofacitinib and Ustekinumab Equally Effective for UC After Failure of Anti-TNF Therapy

In a retrospective real-world study, Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers demonstrated that tofacitinib and ustekinumab are equally effective for achieving steroid-free clinical remission of ulcerative colitis at 12 and 52 weeks.

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Transoral Outlet Reduction Plus Pharmacotherapy Superior to Either Alone for Treating Weight Regain After RYGB

Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers, and colleagues investigated the effect of combining pharmacotherapy with transoral outlet reduction. They demonstrate the combination is superior to either therapy alone and provides similar efficacy to surgical revision for weight gain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

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Improved Ingestible Sensor for Wireless Monitoring of the GI Tract Is Location-Aware

Doctor pointing to outline of gastrointestinal tract, GI

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MIT, and California Institute of Technology have devised a system for localizing and tracking wireless microdevices inside the GI tract in real-time and in non-clinical settings, with millimeter-scale spatial resolution and no need for X-ray radiation.

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