A recent study examined the many ways that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects the lives of kids and teens. The research, conducted at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, showed that "spiritual well-being" (though not necessarily religion) was beneficial to their quality of life. The authors hope that the results can help health practitioners to bring a spirituality to the treatment of their patients with IBD and other chronic disorders.

Source:
Yi MS, Britto MT, Sherman SN, Moyer MS, Cotton S, Kotagal UR, Canfield D, Putnam FW, Carlton-Ford S, Tsevat J. "Health Values in Adolescents with Versus without Inflammatory Bowel Disease." J Pediatr 22 Nov 2008. 14 Jan 2008.

In an effort to get bodies into their stores, many chain supermarkets and drug stores are offering certain types of drugs for free or for a low cost. Antibiotics and prenatal vitamins in particular are being offered for free. Hundreds of prescription drugs are available in generic form at significantly reduced costs. Patient Empowerment Guide Trisha Torrey has all the details on Where to Find Free and Low Cost Prescription Drugs.

The makers of Cimzia, UCB, have announced that there is a delay in getting the drug approved for use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cimzia is already approved for use in patients with Crohn's disease. The FDA has reportedly asked for more safety data on the drug. European health officials are also reviewing Cimzia in the new indication for RA. The drug is still generally expected to be approved for RA, although the FDA's delay is cause for concern, and caused UCB's stock price to fall this week.

Researchers in the UK have discovered that a miscoded gene may be partly responsible for some people developing IBD. While still in the womb, this gene, which is part of the chemical reaction in the colon, is only "half" as active as it should be. Therefore, it is not producing as much of a certain protein as it should. The authors of the study conclude that this protein must be responsible for calming inflammation in the digestive tract, and having a faulty copy of the gene that codes for it could lead to developing IBD. The next step would be to test the effect this protein has on people with IBD.

Source:
The University of Edinburgh, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine. "Study sheds light on cause of Bowel Disease." 10 Dec 2008. 7 Jan 2009.