Study Underway to Find an Alternative Cure for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
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From: zumone2002 on 16 Jun 2008 22:14 http://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?ID=1055 Study Underway to Find an Alternative Cure for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Rush University Medical Center Exploring the Effectiveness of Dietary and Mind/Body Alternatives CHICAGO Two research studies evaluating dietary changes and complementary medicine for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have been launched at Rush University Medical Center. Funded by the National Institute of Health, one study will look at the impact of mind/body medicine on patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC) and the other will assess how diet impacts patients with Crohns Disease. There are two main types of IBD, Crohns disease and UC, which afflict approximately one million Americans. These diseases cause chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract, causing a variety of symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and rectal bleeding. "Both Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis are due to an autoimmune response to the bacteria or bacterial antigens inside the intestines, said Dr. Ali Keshavarzian, director of digestive diseases and nutrition at Rush and principal investigator and co-investigator on the studies. Basically, the immune system is having an abnormally aggressive reaction to the bacteria." "We want to control flare-ups of the diseases," said Keshavarzian. "Unfortunately, the treatments for IBD can be toxic and risky. There are increased risks of cancer, infection and even death as a result of IBD treatment. Thats why were looking at how diet as well as stress relate to the flare-ups. It may be that if we can lower stress and get the right diet, we may be able to control these illnesses." ... -- Luke |