Citations

Introduction: Pregnancy can be a complex and risk filled event for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). High-quality studies in this population are lacking, with limited data on medications approved to treat IBD during pregnancy. For patients, limited knowledge surrounding pregnancy impacts pregnancy rates, medication adherence, and outcomes. Limited provider knowledge leads to highly varied practices in care affected by local dogma, available resources, individual interpretation of the literature, and fear of harming the fetus. The variations in guidelines by different societies and countries reflect this and lead to confusion for physicians and patients alike. The Global Consensus Consortium is a group of 39 IBD and content experts and 7 patient advocates from 6 continents who convened to review and assess current data and come to an agreement on best practices based on these data. Methods: The GRADE process was used when sufficient published data were available and the RAND process in those instances where expert opinion was needed to guide consistent practice. Recommendations were informed by the guiding principle that maternal health best supports infant health. Results: The topics were divided into 10 categories with 34 GRADE recommendations and 35 Consensus statements. Discussion: Overall, the goal of the group was to provide data-driven and practical guidance to improve the care of women with IBD around the globe based on the best available research.

Abstract Background Research is limited on the impacts of menopause, defined as the permanent cessation of ovarian function and decline of reproductive hormones, on gastrointestinal symptom severity and disease progression in women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This review synthesizes current evidence on the impact of menopause, menopause transition, and hormonal therapy (HT) on disease activity, IBD and menopause symptom severity, and disease progression among individuals with IBD. Methods A systematic literature review was reported following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and preregistered at PROSPERO (CRD42024564901). Five databases were searched without date restrictions. Data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment were performed independently by multiple reviewers. Results were qualitatively synthesized. Results Of 1667 records, 15 studies met inclusion criteria (5 cohort, 3 case-control, 7 cross-sectional) with IBD sample sizes from 37 to 1367. Evidence on HT and IBD risk was mixed: some studies linked HT to increased ulcerative colitis risk while others found no significant association after adjusting for confounders. Women with IBD experience earlier menopause than healthy control subjects. While most women reported no change in IBD symptoms postmenopause, a minority reported symptom worsening. HT may reduce flare severity. Women with IBD reported more severe vulvovaginal symptoms and had distinct vaginal microbiome profiles compared with healthy control subjects. Conclusions Few studies have explored the relationship between menopause and IBD. There is a need for continued research on the relationship between IBD disease activity and menopause symptoms to create tailored interventions to improve women’s health with IBD across the lifespan.

Abstract Background & Aims Pregnancy can be a complex and risk-filled event for women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). High-quality studies in this population are lacking, with limited data on medications approved to treat IBD during pregnancy. For patients, limited knowledge surrounding pregnancy impacts pregnancy rates, medication adherence, and outcomes. Limited provider knowledge leads to highly varied practices in care affected by local dogma, available resources, individual interpretation of the literature, and fear of harming the fetus. The variations in guidelines by different societies and countries reflect this and lead to confusion for physicians and patients alike. The Global Consensus Consortium is a group of 39 IBD and content experts and 7 patient advocates from 6 continents who convened to review and assess current data and come to an agreement on best practices based on these data. Methods The GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) process was used when sufficient published data were available and the RAND (Research and Development) process in those instances where expert opinion was needed to guide consistent practice. Recommendations were informed by the guiding principle that maternal health best supports infant health. Results The topics were divided into ten categories with 34 GRADE recommendations and 35 consensus statements. Conclusions Overall, the goal of the group was to provide data-driven and practical guidance to improve the care of women with IBD around the globe based on the best available research.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often consider their gastroenterologist to be the primary provider of care. To improve the care delivered to patients with IBD, health maintenance issues need to be addressed by the gastroenterology team. In particular, documentation and recommendation for vaccinations are crucial because more than 70% of patients with IBD will at some time be on immune-modifying therapies that may increase the risk for infections, many of which are preventable with vaccinations. Health maintenance recommendations addressed in this guideline include the safety and appropriate timing of vaccinations, screening for osteoporosis, cervical cancer, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer and screening for depression, anxiety, and need for smoking cessation. To accomplish these health maintenance goals, coordination among the primary care provider, gastroenterology team, and other specialists is necessary.

Abstract Introduction The majority of adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience disability which is not fully explained by disease activity. Up to 80% of adults with IBD experience poor sleep health, which is associated with disability in other populations; however, the relationship between disability and sleep health among patients with IBD is largely unexamined. The purpose of this study was to compare the sleep health characteristics of those with and without IBD-related disability. Methods We recruited adults (18 to 59 years old) with IBD from a single academic medical center from 2022 to 2024. We measured disease activity using the Manitoba IBD Index and sleep using the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance and PROMIS Sleep-Related Impairment scales, the Insomnia Severity Index, and 14 days of wrist-worn actigraphy (Phillips Spectrum Plus, Phillips Respironics). We asked participants how many days they missed or had at least 50% reduced productivity in paid work or household work or missed leisure activities in the last 3 months related to their IBD. Disability was defined as missing six or more day over three months. We conducted bivariate analyses and logistic regressions to study associations. Results Among 83 adults with IBD [mean age = 40.4 years (SD 10.7), 59 (71.1%) were female, 56 (71.1%) had Crohn’s disease], and 49 (62.0%) had IBD-related disability. Patients with disability had more severe sleep disturbance (56.4 vs. 51.0, p <.001), sleep-related impairment (58.3 vs 50.3, p <.001), more severe insomnia (12.7 vs. 9.4, p =.029), and actigraph-measured higher wake after sleep onset (41.6 minutes vs. 34.0 minutes, p = 0.012) and lower sleep efficiency (85.1% vs. 87.9%, p = 0.032) compared to those without disability. After controlling for age and disease activity, sleep-related impairment (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.03, 1.15) was independently associated with disability. Conclusion Patients with IBD-related disability experience poor sleep health. Sleep related daytime impairment uniquely contributed to disability when controlling for disease activity. Sleep interventions need to be tested in adults with IBD to determine if they are effective at addressing disability in this population. Support (if any) Mayo Clinic Bonner Fund

ABSTRACT Presented is a 76-year-old man with metastatic melanoma that was successfully treated with pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). He underwent 20 months of ICI treatment without dose limiting side effects. Nearly 18 months after ICI discontinuation, the patient developed intermittent epigastric pain and diarrhea. Owing to mild symptoms, he was not immediately evaluated. Three years after ICI cessation, he was diagnosed with stricturing, jejunal Crohn's disease. He was treated with vedolizumab and displayed clinical and radiographic response to treatment. This case serves as an example of potential gastrointestinal-related, long-term autoimmune implications of ICI therapy, even in patients without acute side effects.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based recommendations for sexual practices regarding anoreceptive intercourse (ARI) do not exist in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases undergoing restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA). This study surveys providers on perspectives and attitudes related to sexual practices after IPAA. METHODS: We developed a 23-item survey and distributed it to providers caring for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. RESULTS: 95% of providers believe that it is important to discuss sexual orientation or practices before IPAA, but only 27% routinely discuss this. 50% did not feel comfortable and 74% did not feel confident discussing ARI recommendations with patients who underwent or will undergo IPAA. DISCUSSION: Future interventions should aim to standardize recommendations regarding feasibility and time line to safe ARI after IPAA.