Prevalence of Obesity-Related Disease in a Danish Population - The Results of an Algorithm-Based Screening Program.

Purpose: The prevalence of obesity continues to rise. People with obesity are at increased risk of several diseases. We tested an algorithm-based screening program for people with a BMI above 30 kg/m2 and present data on the prevalence of previously undiagnosed obesity-related diseases. Patients and Methods: Seven hundred and sixty-nine persons with BMI > 30 kg/m2 and age 18-60 years were screened for diabetes (assessed by glycosylated hemoglobin and oral glucose tolerance test at HbA1c 43-48 mmol/mol), sleep apnea (screened by questionnaires and assessed by cardiorespiratory monitoring at indication of sleep disorder), liver steatosis or liver fibrosis (assessed by biochemistry and fibroscan) and arterial hypertension (assessed by both office and 24-hour blood pressure measurement). A reference group of people with a BMI of 18.5-29.9 kg/m2 was established. Results: Of those referred, 73.0% were women. We identified new diabetes in 4.2%, prediabetes in 9.1%, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea in 25.1%, increased liver fat and increased liver stiffness in 68.1% and 17.4%, respectively, and hypertension or masked hypertension in 19.0%. The prevalence of diseases was much higher among men and increased with BMI. Except for hypertension, we found few participants with undiagnosed disease in the reference group. Conclusion: An algorithm-based screening program is feasible and reveals undiagnosed obesity-related disease in a large proportion of the participants. The disproportional referral pattern calls for a tailored approach aiming to include more men with obesity. Trial Registration: Inclusion of the non-obese group was approved by the Scientific Ethics Committee of The Region of Southern Denmark (project identification number: S-20210091), and the study was reported at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05176132).

The number of people with obesity is going up, and they are at a higher risk for various diseases. We tested a screening program for people referred with a BMI over 30 kg/m² and presented the prevalence of diseases related to obesity. We screened 769 people aged 18 to 60 years with a BMI over 30 kg/m² for diabetes (biochemistry and glucose tolerance test), sleep apnea (both questionnaires and home monitoring), liver disease (biochemistry and liver scan) and high blood pressure (office and 24-hour readings). We also tested a reference group of people with BMI 18.5-30 kg/m². Among those screened, 73.0% were women. We found new cases of diabetes in 4.2%, prediabetes in 9.1%, sleep apnea in 25.1%, increased liver fat in 68.1%, increased liver stiffness in 17.4%, and hypertension or masked hypertension in 19.0%. The diseases were more common in men and increased with both higher BMI and age. Except for hypertension, we found few cases in the reference groups. The screening program uncovered undiagnosed obesity-related diseases in a large group of individuals. The uneven distribution of referrals suggests we need a customized approach to include more men with obesity.

The use of opioids nine months after surgery for Crohn's disease - a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The risk of chronic opioid use after surgery for Crohn's disease (CD) is not known. AIM: The aim of this study is to examine the chronic opioid use after surgery according to age at time of surgery and to opioid use prior to surgery. METHODS: This nationwide cohort study included patients with a first surgery for CD (January 1, 1996 through 2021). We examined prescribed opioids 9 months after surgery and estimated adjusted odds ratios (OR) for chronic opioid use in elderly (≥60 years), adults (≥40 and <60 years), and young adults (≥18 and <40 years) according to opioid use prior to surgery. Chronic opioid use was defined as prescriptions in at least two of three consecutive quarters. RESULTS: A total of 797 patients had surgery as elderly, 1603 as adults, and 2786 as young adults. Across all age groups, 18%-38% received opioid prescriptions throughout 9 months after surgery, if opioids were prescribed prior to surgery. If opioids were not prescribed prior to surgery, the corresponding proportions were 2%-5%. If patients were prescribed opioids (≥1) prior to surgery, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for their chronic use after surgery in elderly, adults, and young adults were 10.37 (6.77-15.88), 10.48 (7.74-14.19), and 6.55 (4.93-8.72), respectively. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware that in patients with a need for opioids before surgery, the surgery may not change the need for opioids. Future research should examine effective analgesic strategies that help minimise opioid use in this population.

Children born preterm or small for gestational age to mothers with multiple sclerosis: Do these children have an increased risk of infections in early life?

BACKGROUND: Mothers with multiple sclerosis are at increased risk of preterm birth and small for gestational age infants. Both conditions pose a risk of morbidity, including early-life infections. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the risk of infections in the first 3 years of life among children born preterm or small for gestational age to mothers with multiple sclerosis. METHODS: We used Danish national health registers to establish the study cohort of all births by women with MS born from 1995 to 2023. In Cox regression models, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of infections in preterm or small for gestational age children. RESULTS: Preterm children had an adjusted HR of 1.49 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.15-1.93) for hospital-diagnosed infection and 0.88 (95% CI 0.72-1.06) for antibiotic prescriptions. Small for gestational age children had an adjusted HR of 0.81 (95% CI 0.54-1.22) for hospital-diagnosed infection and 1.07 (95% CI 0.82-1.38) for antibiotic prescriptions. CONCLUSION: Children born preterm to mothers with multiple sclerosis had an increased risk of hospital-diagnosed infections in the first 3 years of life, but not of mild-to-moderate infections evaluated on prescriptions. Children born small for gestational age did not have an increased risk of infections.

New surgery and hospital-diagnosed infections in elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease undergoing surgery - a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are fragile in many aspects. Therefore, in these patients, we studied post-operative complications (new abdominal surgery and serious infections after the first IBD surgery). METHODS: This is a nationwide cohort study based on Danish health registries and included patients with IBD undergoing surgery. The study population was split into ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The exposed cohort (elderly) constituted those at an age of ≥ 60 years at first IBD surgery, and the unexposed (adults) those with surgery at the age of 18-59 years. We estimated adjusted Hazard Ratios (aHR) of a) new abdominal surgery within 2 years, and b) serious (hospital-diagnosed) infections within 6 and 12 months. We adjusted for several confounders including type of index surgery (laparoscopic or open). RESULTS: The aHR for a new surgery among elderly with UC and CD were 0.69 (95% CI 0.58-0.83) and 0.98 (95% CI 0.83-1.15), respectively. In elderly with UC, the aHRs of infections within 6 and 12 months after surgery were 1.07 (95% CI 0.81- 1.40) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.67-1.08), respectively. In the elderly with CD, the aHRs of infections within 6 and 12 months were 1.45 (95% CI 1.12-1.88) and 1.26 (95% CI 1.00-1.59), respectively. CONCLUSION: The elderly with IBD did not have an increased risk of new abdominal surgery within two years of the first surgery. Elderly with CD, but not UC, had an increased risk of serious infections within 6 months of surgery.

Neonatal outcomes in women with Multiple Sclerosis - Influence of disease activity: A Danish nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has been associated with an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes. We hypothesized that active disease during conception and pregnancy plays an important role in this context, which this study aims to address. METHODS: We used the Danish registers to conduct a nationwide cohort study. Information on maternal disease activity during pregnancy was retrieved using proxies from the linked registers (hospitalization, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and use of systemic corticosteroids during pregnancy). Neonates, exposed in utero to maternal disease activity constituted the exposed cohort and the unexposed cohort constituted neonates without in utero exposure to maternal disease activity. The examined outcomes were preterm birth, small for gestational age, low 5-minute Apgar score, and major congenital anomalies. In logistic regression models we estimated the odds ratios (OR) with adjustment for confounders such as maternal age, comorbidities, parity, smoking, calendar year of birth, and disease-modifying treatment. RESULTS: Among the study population of 2492 children of mothers with MS we identified 273 (11 %) neonates exposed to maternal disease activity during pregnancy, and 2219 (89 %) neonates without exposure to disease activity. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for preterm birth, small for gestational age, low 5-minute Apgar score, and major congenital anomalies among children born to women with disease activity during pregnancy were 0.92 (95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) 0.53-1.60), aOR 1.19 (95 % CI 0.62-2.26), aOR 2.57 (95 % CI 0.93-7.15) and aOR 0.93 (95 % CI 0.48-1.83), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Women with MS having disease activity during pregnancy did not have a statistically significantly increased risk of adverse neonatal outcomes compared to women with MS without disease activity, which is overall reassuring results. We believe, that this will be useful knowledge for patients and clinicians in planning a pregnancy and preparing a birth plan.

Does Surgery Before Pregnancy in Women With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increase the Risk of Adverse Maternal and Fetal Outcomes? A Danish National Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Up to 15% of women with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) undergo bowel surgery before pregnancy, and there is little data on pregnancy outcomes in this population. We aimed to assess maternal/fetal outcomes in women with CD or UC who underwent surgeries before pregnancy. METHODS: In this nationwide study, we included all pregnancies in women with CD or UC from 1997 to 2022 and examined 6 categories of CD and UC surgeries before pregnancy. We used multilevel logistic regression to compute crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the risk of pregnancy and offspring complications in women who did, vs did not, undergo surgery before pregnancy. RESULTS: There were 833 UC and 3,150 CD pregnancies with prior surgery and 12,883 UC and CD 6,972 pregnancies without surgery. For UC, prior surgery was associated with Cesarian section (C-section) (ileoanal pouch: aOR: 20.03 [95% CI 10.33-38.83]; functional ileostomy: aOR:8.55 [6.10-11.98]; diverting ileostomy: aOR: 38.96 [17.05-89.01]) and preterm birth (aOR: 2.25 [1.48-3.75]; 3.25 [2.31-4.59]; and 2.17 [1.17-4.00]) respectively. For CD and prior intestinal surgery, the risks of C-section (aOR: 1.94 [1.66-2.27]), preterm birth (aOR: 1.30 [1.04-1.61]), and low 5-minute Apgar (aOR: 1.95 [95% CI 1.07-3.54]) increased and premature rupture of membranes (aOR: 0.68 [0.52-0.89]) decreased. For CD with only prior perianal surgery, the risk of C-section (aOR: 3.02 [2.31-3.95]) increased and risk of gestational hypertension/preeclampsia/eclampsia (aOR: 0.52 [0.30-0.89]) decreased. DISCUSSION: Providers should be aware there is an increased likelihood of C-section and certain perinatal complications in patients with CD or UC surgery before pregnancy.

Artificial Intelligence-assisted Analysis of Pan-enteric Capsule Endoscopy in Patients with Suspected Crohn's Disease: A Study on Diagnostic Performance.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pan-enteric capsule endoscopy [PCE] is a highly sensitive but time-consuming tool for detecting pathology. Artificial intelligence [AI] algorithms might offer a possibility to assist in the review and reduce the analysis time of PCE. This study examines the agreement between PCE assessments aided by AI technology and standard evaluations, in patients suspected of Crohn's disease [CD]. METHOD: PCEs from a prospective, blinded, multicentre study, including patients suspected of CD, were processed by the deep learning solution AXARO® [Augmented Endoscopy, Paris, France]. Based on the image output, two observers classified the patient's PCE as normal or suggestive of CD, ulcerative colitis, or cancer. The primary outcome was per-patient sensitivities and specificities for detecting CD and inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. Complete reading of PCE served as the reference standard. RESULTS: A total of 131 patients' PCEs were analysed, with a median recording time of 303 min. The AXARO® framework reduced output to a median of 470 images [2.1%] per patient, and the pooled median review time was 3.2 min per patient. For detecting CD, the observers had a sensitivity of 96% and 92% and a specificity of 93% and 90%, respectively. For the detection of IBD, both observers had a sensitivity of 97% and had a specificity of 91% and 90%, respectively. The negative predictive value was 95% for CD and 97% for IBD. CONCLUSIONS: Using the AXARO® framework reduced the initial review time substantially while maintaining high diagnostic accuracy-suggesting its use as a rapid tool to rule out IBD in PCEs of patients suspected of Crohn's disease.

The IBD-FITT study - moderate-intensity exercise for patients with inflammatory bowel disease with moderate disease activity: an open-label randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis are chronic autoimmune lifelong diseases with fluctuating activity over time. The treatment includes medical therapy and surgery, however, there is no definite cure. Therefore, the quest for new and supplementary treatment options is imperative to improve patients' general health and quality of life. Physical activity and exercise have been suggested to be elements in both the prevention and supplementary treatment of IBD; however, this is based on limited underpowered trials. Thus, the role of exercise as a treatment option still has to be settled. We aim to investigate the effect of a 12-week exercise intervention in adult patients with moderately active IBD on three categories of outcomes (1) disease-specific health-related quality of life (IBDQ); (2) general health status of the patients, i.e., waist circumference, disease activity by clinical scorings systems (Harvey Bradshaw Index, Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index), blood pressure, blood lipids, and non-disease specific quality of life (EQ5D) scores; and (3) explorative outcomes on biomarkers (C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin) plus different biomarkers of immunology (cytokine panel). METHODS: We will apply a superiority design in this open-label randomized clinical trial including 150 patients equally allocated to intervention and usual care. The intervention will be based on a 12-week aerobic exercise program and will include two supervised exercise sessions of 60 min per week, combined with one weekly home training session. We have defined a moderate exercise level as 60-80% of patients' maximum heart rate. The patients in the intervention group will also be offered an online video lesson of 15-25 min on lifestyle guidance, and the same online video lesson will be offered in the comparator group. Questionnaires on quality of life will be forwarded electronically both at inclusion and at the end of the study, and the patients will have blood samples, and fecal samples for calprotectin at baseline, weeks 4 and 8, as well as after 12 weeks (study end). DISCUSSION: This will be a clinical trial investigating the effect of exercise on patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. This trial will add to the evidence on the possible effect of exercise and might clarify whether exercise can benefit as a supplementary treatment addendum. Thus, the trial may provide a new patient-active disease management approach. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04816812. Date of first registration: March 23, 2021.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Adults and Elderly: The Use of Selected Non-IBD Medication Examined in a Nationwide Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Real-world data on medications used for conditions other than inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are sparse. We examined how the onset of IBD affects the prescription pattern of selected non-IBD medication and the risk of becoming an incident user. METHODS: This nationwide cohort study utilized data from Danish health registers. We included incident patients with young adult-onset IBD (18-39 years of age), adult-onset IBD (40-59 years of age), and elderly-onset IBD (60+ years of age), from 1998 to 2018 and followed all for 3 years. We examined redeemed prescriptions before and after the onset of IBD and estimated the risk of becoming a user of non-IBD medications using logistic regression models. RESULTS: We identified 36165 patients, 16 771 (46%) with young adult onset, 10615 (29%) with adult onset, and 8779 (24%) with elderly onset. The onset of IBD increased the use of antidepressants, antipsychotics, sedatives/hypnotics, opioids, nonopioid analgesics, antidiabetics, and proton pump inhibitors, even in patients with no other underlying comorbid diseases. The adjusted odds ratio for using antidepressants 1 year after the onset of IBD in elderly was 1.50 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-1.82), in opioids 1.69 (95% CI, 1.45-1.95), in nonopioid analgesics 2.10 (95% CI, 1.77-2.48), in cardiovascular medication 2.20 (95% CI, 1.86-2.61), and in proton pump inhibitors 1.51 (95% CI, 1.31-1.74) compared with adults. CONCLUSIONS: In all 3 age groups, the proportions of patients with redeemed prescriptions for several groups of non-IBD medication were significantly increased after the IBD diagnosis compared with before. The risk of becoming an incident user for several groups of non-IBD medication was increased in elderly patients.

In patients with young adult onset, adult onset, and elderly onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the proportions of prescriptions for non-IBD medication was significantly increased after the IBD onset compared with before. The risk of new use of non-IBD medication was increased in elderly-onset IBD patients.

Needs assessment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in the encounter and communication with healthcare professionals: A fieldwork study.

AIM: To explore how patients with Inflammatory bowel disease experienced encounters with healthcare professionals in two gastrointestinal outpatient clinics to demonstrate what matters in the communication between patients and healthcare professionals. DESIGN: This fieldwork study is part of a larger study developing an application for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a framework inspired by Participatory Design. Participatory design consists of three phases and this study focused on the first phase, needs assessment. A phenomenological hermeneutic approach and qualitative methods were applied to obtain an understanding of patients' needs. METHODS: Three weeks of participant observations and three focus groups with 14 subjects were conducted at two university hospitals in Denmark. Field notes and interview transcripts were analysed using condensation of meaning and interpreted based on interactional nursing practice theory. The reporting method adhered to the EQUATOR guideline: COREQ. RESULTS: Four themes emerged: Easy and dependable access to healthcare professionals. Predictability of follow-up appointments. Importance of privacy during patient exams and Quality of time spent with healthcare professionals. CONCLUSION: Easy, dependable access, privacy, presence and predictability of follow-up appointments were important to patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE: In communication with patients with inflammatory bowel disease, healthcare professionals must be aware of privacy and the importance of predictable follow-up agreements. They must be aware that presence and easy, reliable access positively affect patients' self-care skills. PATIENT CONTRIBUTION: This study is part of a larger project based on Participatory design involving patients and healthcare professionals in the development of technology to support communication.

Patients with multiple sclerosis: COVID-19 related disease activity and hospitalisations based on a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: It has not previously been clarified if COVID-19 triggers disease activity and increases the risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis. We examined the association between COVID-19 and the use of systemic corticosteroids prescriptions and hospital contacts at neurological departments as proxies of disease activity among patients with multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, we examined whether patients with multiple sclerosis were more likely to be hospitalised with COVID-19 compared to references. METHODS: This study was based on nationwide health registries with data on the Danish population of 2,222,946 individuals with a positive COVID-19 PCR test. To study disease activity our study population consisted of all patients with multiple sclerosis and a positive COVID-19 PCR test. Our proxies for disease activity were compared after versus before a positive COVID-19 PCR test using a binomial regression model. Adjustments were made for age, sex, comorbidity, length of multiple sclerosis diagnosis, calendar period, vaccination, and immunomodulatory treatment. To study the risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis our study population here consisted of all Danish citizens with a COVID-19 positive PCR test. In logistic regression models we estimated odds ratio (OR) for hospitalisation with COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis relative to patients affected with other autoimmune diseases (inflammatory bowel disease/rheumatoid arthritis), and relative to individuals from the general population. Adjustments were made for age, sex, comorbidity, vaccination, and calendar period. To examine the impact of disease-modifying treatment, the risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19 was estimated in those with disease-modifying treatment versus those without any disease-modifying treatment. RESULTS: We included 7358 patients with multiple sclerosis and a positive COVID-19 PCR test. The adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) for having corticosteroid prescriptions after COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis was 0.93 (95 % CI 0.78 - 1.10), and the aIRR for hospital contacts at neurological departments/admissions with multiple sclerosis as primary diagnosis after COVID-19 infection was 1.10 (95 % 1.00-1.22). Adjusted OR (aOR) for hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the 30 days after a positive COVID-19 PCR test was 3.21 (95 % CI 2.75-3.74) compared to patients with other autoimmune diseases and the aOR was 5.34 (95 % CI 4.65-6.14) for patients with multiple sclerosis compared to all other individuals in the general population with a positive test. We found no increased risk of hospitalisations with COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis using disease-modifying treatment 6 months prior to a positive COVID-19 PCR test compared to patients with multiple sclerosis without disease-modifying treatment (aOR 0.94 (95 % CI 0.69-1.27)). CONCLUSIONS: In this nationwide cohort of patients with multiple sclerosis, COVID-19 did not seem to trigger multiple sclerosis disease activity (based on proxy variables). We found a significantly increased risk of being hospitalised with COVID-19 in the first 30 days after a positive COVID-19 PCR test in patients with multiple sclerosis irrespective of the type of reference population. In patients with multiple sclerosis, the use of disease-modifying treatment did not increase the risk of hospitalisation with COVID-19.

Additional information obtained from mucosal biopsies is limited after pan-enteric capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected Crohn's disease.

Background and study aims Pan-enteric capsule endoscopy (CE) is an emerging alternative to ileo-colonoscopy for diagnosing Crohn's disease (CD). However, CE does not offer the opportunity to take biopsies to support the diagnosis. This study examined the additional information obtained with mucosal biopsies and the feasibility of CE as a single diagnostic procedure. Patients and methods This retrospective study was based on a prospective, blind multicenter trial in which patients with suspected CD were examined with ileo-colonoscopy plus segmental biopsies and CE. Histopathological findings were compared to the result of CE. Results A total of 107 patients with a complete CE were included in the analysis. CE was consistent with CD in 44 patients (41.1%) and ulcerative colitis in 10 patients (9.3%). Histopathology confirmed the result of CE in 39.3% of patients and added new diagnostic information in 6.5% of patients. A CE consistent with CD was histologically confirmed in 20.5% of patients. Biopsies most often showed non-specific inflammation (61.4%). Only one patient with a normal CE had a specific histological diagnosis (microscopic colitis). Biopsies altered the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis to CD in two patients, and in two patients with a normal CE, biopsies showed CD or ulcerative colitis. In one patient with lymphoma in the terminal ileum and cecum, CE was misinterpreted as CD. Conclusions In patients with suspected CD and an evident result of CE, the additional information obtained from biopsies is limited, and CE as a single diagnostic procedure might be feasible in selected patients. Biopsies are warranted, however, in patients with an atypical endoscopic appearance or suspected malignancy.

Preoperative intravenous iron treatment - a cohort study on colorectal cancer recurrence.

Background: Intravenous (i.v.) iron treatment has been speculated to increase the malignant potential of colorectal malignancies but also to enhance the immune systems potential to fight the invasive tumor. Clinical data however is very limited. We investigate if preoperative i.v. iron treatment is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence. Methods: Retrospective cohort study on surgical CRC patients with iron deficiency anemia (1st March 2013 - 31st December 2019). Patients were grouped based on whether they had received preoperative treatment with i.v. iron. Local data was combined with data from the National Danish Health registries to identify recurrences, death, and emigration. Survival analysis, including Kaplan-Meyer curves and multivariate competing risk analysis adjusting for sex, age, ASA-group, tumor stage, surgical radicality, and miss match repair status was performed. Results: Of 1228 patients, 125 were available for analysis. 89 patients had received preoperative i.v. iron and 36 had not. The two groups were comparable on baseline and surgical characteristics. Median follow-up times were 4.74 in iron treated patients and 5 years in patients not receiving iron treatment. Five-year rate of non-recurrence was 85 % (0.74-0.91) in the i.v. iron treated group vs. 82 % (0.64-0.91) in the control group, non-significant difference. Multivariate survival analysis did not find iron treatment to be associated with recurrence rates (Hazard Ratio 0.88 (95 % ci; 0.31-2.51). Conclusion: No association between preoperative i.v. iron treatment and the five-year cancer recurrence rate in iron deficient anemic CRC patients was found.

Intestinal ultrasound in patients with suspected Crohn's disease - results of a prospective evaluation by trainees.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) performed by experts is a valuable tool for the diagnostic work-up and monitoring of Crohn's disease (CD). However, concern about insufficient training and perceived high inter-observer variability limit the adoption of IUS in CD. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of trainee-performed IUS in patients with suspected CD. METHOD: Patients recruited to a prospective trial investigating the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance enterocolonography (MREC) in patients with clinically suspected CD underwent IUS performed by trainees. The primary end-point was IUS per-patient sensitivity and specificity for ileocolonic CD determined by ileocolonoscopy. RESULTS: 129 patients with clinically suspected CD and a complete IC and IUS were included in the analysis. IUS detected signs of CD in 49 cases (small bowel 31, colon 15, small bowel, and colon 3). The sensitivity and specificity for detection of ileocolonic CD by trainee performed IUS improved during the first to the second half of the study period from 57.1% (CI 34.0-78.2) to 73.1% (CI 52.2-88.4) and 76.5% (CI 58.8-89.3) to 89.7% (CI 72.6-97.8). The overall sensitivity and specificity of diagnosing CD with IUS were 65.4% (CI 50.9-78.0) and 80.5% (CI 69.9-88.7). There was no difference in diagnostic performance between IUS and MREC for the detection of CD. CONCLUSION: Trainees improved during the study, and IUS performance in disease detection corresponded to expert-evaluated MREC.Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03134586).

Health-Related Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Self-Image in Young Patients With Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

We examined health-related quality of life, anxiety, and self-image in patients aged 10-20 years with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in remission. These areas are key concerns in clinical care. We used the IMPACT-III for health-related quality of life and The Beck Youth Inventory-II for anxiety and self-image. Linear regression models were used to compare CD to UC. We included 67 patients, 44 (66%) with CD and 23 (34%) with UC. The mean score for IMPACT-III, anxiety, and self-image for CD versus UC was 78 (±SD: 13) versus 78 (±SD: 15), 44 (±SD: 9) versus 45 (±SD: 8), and 10 (±SD: 9) versus 9 (±SD: 6), respectively. We found no difference between CD and UC. Despite remission, we found an elevated score of anxiety and a low score of self-image. When evaluating mental health status, a varied approach may be beneficial for researchers.

Patients with elderly onset inflammatory bowel disease have a decreased chance of initiation of all types of medications and increased risk of surgeries-A nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with elderly (≥60 years) onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we studied initiation of medications, drug persistency and surgeries. DESIGN: A nationwide cohort study based on Danish registries, comprising incident IBD patients ≥18 years from 1995 to 2020 (N = 69,039). Patients were divided into elderly (N = 19,187) and adult onset (N = 49,852). Outcomes were initiation of thiopurines, 5-ASA, biologics and corticosteroids within 1 and 5 years after diagnosis, and for those who initiated medications, we estimated drug persistency. Surgeries were examined within 1 and 5 years. We used regression models controlling for covariates. RESULTS: In elderly patients, the adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for initiating thiopurines, 5-ASA and biologics within 1 year were 0.44 (95% CI 0.42-0.47), 0.77 (95% CI 0.75-0.79) and 0.29 (95% CI 0.26-0.31) respectively. The results were similar within 5 years. In elderly patients, drug persistency for thiopurines, 5-ASA and biologics was not impaired within 5 years. The aHR of stopping steroids within 1 and 5 years were 0.80 (95% CI 0.76-0.84) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.74-0.80) respectively. The risk of surgeries was increased in the elderly patients (in ulcerative colitis, within 5 years, aHR 1.39 [95% CI 1.27-1.52], and in Crohn's disease 1.13 [95% CI 1.04-1.23]). CONCLUSION: We found significantly low chance of initiation of IBD medications in elderly patients, the reason may not be due to mild disease course. In elderly patients, drug persistency was comparable to adults. Clinicians should carefully consider whether they underuse IBD-specific medications in elderly patients, and special attention should be applied to timely discontinuation of corticosteroids.

COVID-19 Does Not Lead to an Increase in Corticosteroid Prescriptions in IBD Patients: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a trigger for disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In patients with IBD, we aimed to examine the association between COVID-19 infection and prescriptions of systemic and local corticosteroids (used as proxy for disease activity). METHODS: This nationwide cohort study was based on Danish health registries and included all patients in Denmark with ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD) by the start of the pandemic (March 1, 2020) and who had a positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from March 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022. We calculated rates of corticosteroid prescriptions 6 months before and 6 months after a positive COVID-19 PCR test, and we calculated adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR). RESULTS: We included 30,102 patients with IBD and a positive COVID-19 test (11,159 with CD, 18,493 with UC). The aIRR for having corticosteroid prescriptions after a COVID-19 positive test was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-0.91). When we stratified for underlying disease, the aIRR for having corticosteroid after a COVID-19 positive test in UC was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.75-0.90), and in CD 0.91 (95% CI, 0.81-1.02). Stratifications according to calendar periods and age groups showed consistent results. CONCLUSIONS: An infection with COVID-19 did not result in a higher rate of filled corticosteroid prescriptions. Using corticosteroids as a proxy for disease activity, COVID-19 did not seem to trigger disease activity, which is a reassuring result for patients with IBD.

An infection with COVID-19 did not result in a higher rate of filled corticosteroid prescriptions. Using corticosteroids as a proxy for disease activity, COVID-19 did not seem to trigger disease activity, which is a reassuring result for patients with IBD.

Maternal Multiple Sclerosis and Health Outcomes Among the Children: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To summarize the available literature and provide an overview of in utero exposure to maternal multiple sclerosis (MS) and the influence on offspring health outcomes. Methods: We conducted a systematic review by searching Embase, Medline and PubMed.gov databases, and we used covidence.org to conduct a thorough sorting of the articles into three groups; 1) women with MS and the influence on birth outcomes; 2) women with MS treated with disease-modifying therapy (DMT) during pregnancy and the influence on birth outcomes; and 3) women with MS and the influence on long-term health outcomes in the children. Results: In total, 22 cohort studies were identified. Ten studies reported on MS without DMT and compared with a control group without MS, and nine studies on women with MS and DMT prior to or during pregnancy met the criteria. We found only four studies reporting on long-term child health outcomes. One study had results belonging to more than one group. Conclusion: The studies pointed towards an increased risk of preterm birth and small for gestational age among women with MS. In terms of women with MS treated with DMT prior to or during pregnancy, no clear conclusions could be reached. The few studies on long-term child outcomes all had different outcomes within the areas of neurodevelopment and psychiatric impairment. In this systematic review, we have highlighted the research gaps on the impact of maternal MS on offspring health.

Endoscopic severity and classification of lesions with pan-enteric capsule endoscopy and ileocolonoscopy in ileocolonic Crohn's disease.

Background and study aims Recent evidence supports the use of pan-enteric capsule endoscopy (CE) for the diagnosis and follow-up of Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to examine the agreement between CE and ileocolonoscopy (IC) for determining the severity and classification of lesions in ileocolonic CD. Patients and methods In a prospective blinded multicenter study, patients with suspected CD were examined with CE and IC within 2 weeks. Ninety-nine participants with a full IC and CE were included in the analysis. The ileocolonic disease severity was assessed with the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD). Results CD was diagnosed in 30 patients with IC and CE. The mean SES-CD was 9.8 (CI 7.9-11.8) and 10.6 (CI 8.2-13.1), respectively ( P  = 0.69). There was a substantial agreement (ICC 0.83, CI 0.68-0.92) and a strong correlation between SES-CD assessed with IC and CE (r s  = 0.78, P  < 0.001). 55 bowel segments had ulcerations with both modalities (terminal ileum 24, right colon 12, transverse colon eight, left colon eight and rectum three). Mean sub-scores for ulcer size, area of ulcerated surface and area of affected surface did not differ between modalities. The inter-modality agreement (κ) was 0.46, 0.34 and 0.43, respectively ( P  < 0.001). Conclusions There is a strong correlation between IC and CE for the severity of ileocolonic CD. The agreement for SES-CD sub-scores is fair to moderate. CE could be an alternative to IC for the assessment of endoscopic severity in selected patients with suspected CD.

Subjective sleep assessment compared to polysomnography in mechanically ventilated critically ill ICU patients.

Sleep deprivation is expected in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with delirium and increased mortality. Polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard for sleep assessment, but practical issues limit the method. Hence, many ICUs worldwide use subjective sleep assessment (SSA) for sleep monitoring, but the agreement between SSA and PSG is unknown. The hypothesis was that the level of agreement between SSA and PSG was low and that total sleep time (TST) assessed with SSA would be overestimated compared to PSG in this existing cohort database. In this sub-analysis, 30 consecutive study participants underwent 15-h PSG recordings during two consecutive nights. The attending nurse performed an hourly subjective observer rating of sleep quantity during both nights, and the agreement between SSA and PSG was determined along with mean TST. Primary outcome: The level of agreement between SSA and PSG determined by Bland-Altman analysis. Secondary outcome: (1) The overall mean TST estimated by SSA compared to PSG in all study participants enrolled in the main study during both study nights, (2) TST for all study participants evaluated hourly during both study nights, (3) TST assessed with SSA compared to PSG in study participants sedated with dexmedetomidine during the second night and for study participants treated with placebo or non-sedation the first and second nights. The level of agreement between SSA and PSG was low. Mean TST estimated by SSA during the time interval 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 a.m. was 481 min (428;534, 95% CI) vs. PSG at 437 min (386;488, 95% CI) (p = .05). When sedated with dexmedetomidine, TST estimated using SSA was 650 min (571;729, 95% CI) versus PSG which was 588 min (531;645, 95% CI) (p = 0.56). For participants treated with placebo or non-sedation TST estimated with SSA was 397 min (343;450, 95% CI) versus PSG at 362 min (302;422, 95% CI) versus (p = 0.17). In mechanically ventilated critically ill ICU patients, the level of agreement between SSA and PSG was low, and there was a significant overestimation of mean TST. SSA should only be used under awareness that it is imprecise and overestimates TST.