- More than half a million people in the United States live with Crohn’s disease.
- New guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association recommend biomarkers found in blood and stool be used in the management of the condition.
- Experts say using biomarkers to assess inflammation could spare some people with Crohn’s from invasive procedures such as colonoscopies.
New guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association could mean people living with Crohn’s disease will need fewer invasive procedures.
The guidelines published today recommend using the C-reactive protein (CRP) biomarker in blood and the fecal calprotectin (FCP) biomarker in stool to measure inflammation levels and assess whether Crohn’s disease is in remission or active.
“Patients’ symptoms do not always match endoscopic findings, so biomarkers are a useful tool to understand and monitor the status of inflammation and guide decision making in patients with Crohn’s disease,” Dr. Siddarth Singh, a co-author of the guidelines and an associate professor of clinical medicine at The University of California San Diego, said in a press statement.
The guidelines recommend biomarkers be used alongside imaging studies and colonoscopies, and at different intervals depending on the patient.
Under the guidelines, patients in remission would have their biomarkers checked every 6 to 12 months. People with active symptoms would have their biomarkers checked every 2 to 4 months.
The authors of the guidelines say it would be good news for patients who would not require as many invasive procedures, like colonoscopy.
“Based on this guideline, biomarkers are no longer considered experimental and should be an integral part of inflammatory bowel disease care,” Dr. Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, a co-author of the guidelines and a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a press statement.
“This is a win for Crohn’s disease patients. Biomarkers are usually easier to obtain,…
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