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What's New
PubMed · December 1, 2026
Researchers found that newer biologic treatments — medications made from living cells that target specific parts of the immune system — tend to give people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) more healthy, comfortable years of life compared to older, conventional treatments, even though they cost more upfront. Across 18 studies, the added health benefits of these biologics were generally considered worth the higher price tag, meaning people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis may get meaningful improvements in quality of life from them. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with the hardest-to-treat forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a group of conditions where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing pain, diarrhea, and other serious symptoms — are largely left out of studies testing new medications. Even though some patients have already tried multiple treatments without success, very few clinical studies specifically track how well new drugs work for this group, making it difficult for doctors to know the best options for them. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that a nurse-led program — which combined eight online learning modules with weekly phone check-ins — helped people with inflammatory bowel disease (a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like pain, cramping, and urgent bathroom trips) manage their day-to-day lives better than standard care alone. Participants reported high satisfaction with the program, and those who took part showed meaningful improvements in how much their symptoms interfered with normal activities. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that a small swallowable camera pill — called capsule endoscopy — may be a useful tool for checking how well treatment is working inside the gut for people with Crohn's disease, a condition where the digestive tract becomes inflamed. In the studies reviewed, when the camera revealed ongoing inflammation, doctors adjusted treatment in the majority of patients, and roughly 1 in 4 went on to achieve mucosal healing, meaning the lining of their gut showed signs of recovery. This could matter for people with Crohn's disease because it suggests that using this camera pill to guide treatment decisions — rather than waiting for symptoms to worsen — might help doctors fine-tune care more precisely. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · November 1, 2026
According to the Spanish Working Group on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GETECCU) guidelines, people hospitalized with a sudden, severe flare-up of ulcerative colitis — a condition where the large intestine becomes seriously inflamed — should be evaluated quickly and treated with steroid medications given directly into a vein, with doctors checking how well those steroids are working within 72 hours. If the steroids aren't helping, GETECCU recommends considering alternative rescue medications, with the specific choice tailored to each person's health situation. These guidelines also emphasize the importance of ruling out infections, supporting good nutrition, and taking steps to prevent dangerous blood clots during hospitalization — because without this careful, coordinated approach, patients face a real risk of needing surgery to remove the colon.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should know the warning signs of acute severe ulcerative colitis so they know when to go to the hospital right away.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that certain advanced medications — including infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, and upadacitinib — were significantly more effective than a placebo at healing painful tunnels (called fistulas) that can form near the anal area in people with a type of Crohn's disease, both in the short term and over the longer term. This matters because perianal fistulas are one of the most difficult and distressing complications of Crohn's disease, and having clearer evidence about which treatments work best could help doctors make more informed decisions for their patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · October 25, 2026
According to Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases (KASID) guidelines, doctors treating adults with ulcerative colitis — a long-term condition where the large intestine becomes inflamed and irritated — should focus on choosing treatments that are tailored to each person's specific situation, including how severe their condition is, other health issues they have, and their own preferences. The guidelines also stress the importance of acting quickly when someone has a serious flare-up, and making sure patients are involved in decisions about their own care. This matters because ulcerative colitis can range from mild and manageable to severe and life-disrupting, so a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work well for everyone.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient's current ulcerative colitis treatment plan follows the latest 2026 guidelines, or whether there are newer treatment options the patient should know about.
Guidelines
PubMed · October 25, 2026
According to Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases (KASID) guidelines, people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like pain, diarrhea, and bleeding — should receive careful, structured monitoring that covers how active their disease is, how far it has spread, their nutritional health, and regular checks for colorectal cancer. The guidelines emphasize that getting the diagnosis right from the start and keeping a close eye on how the disease changes over time can prevent unnecessary treatments and catch problems early, before they become more serious. These recommendations are designed to be tailored to each person's individual situation, so their doctor can make decisions that fit their specific needs.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should have certain tests or monitoring done regularly to catch any changes in the inflammatory bowel disease early, and what that monitoring schedule should look like.
Guidelines
PubMed · October 25, 2026
According to the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases (KASID) guidelines, people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition where the gut is chronically inflamed, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) who are thinking about starting a family should know that keeping their disease well-controlled matters far more for a healthy pregnancy than the medications used to maintain that control. The guidelines highlight that common worries — like whether IBD is inherited, whether it affects fertility, or whether medications are safe during pregnancy — often lead people to stop effective treatment unnecessarily, which can actually increase risks for both the mother and baby. These recommendations were developed specifically for Korean patients and also address practical questions like breastfeeding and vaccinations for babies born to mothers who were on certain IBD medications during pregnancy.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient needs to stop any of their IBD medications if they are planning to become pregnant, or whether keeping the disease under control is more important than stopping the medicine.
What's New
PubMed · October 17, 2026
Researchers found that children with inflammatory bowel disease — a condition where the gut is chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like stomach pain and diarrhea — who switched from getting their infliximab medication through an IV drip at a clinic to a self-administered injection under the skin at home did very well overall, with about 93% staying in remission (meaning their symptoms were well-controlled). Kids and families also reported being happier with the change, largely because it meant fewer clinic visits and less missed school. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 15, 2026
Researchers found that an experimental pill called icotrokinra helped people with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis — a condition where the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and causes symptoms like stomach pain and urgent diarrhea. In the study, around 55–63% of people taking the pill showed meaningful improvement after 12 weeks, compared to only 27% of people taking a placebo (a dummy pill with no active ingredient) — and some even reached full remission, meaning their symptoms largely went away. This is exciting because most similar treatments currently require injections or IV infusions, so a daily pill could be a much more convenient option for patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 9, 2026
A study found that a lower daily dose of tofacitinib (a medication used to treat severe ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease) worked just as well as a higher dose when given alongside steroid treatment through an IV. About 9 out of 10 patients in both groups improved within 7 days, and serious complications like blood clots or serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes were not reported in either group. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that a structured approach to surgery called Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) — which combines steps like earlier eating, better pain management, and getting patients moving sooner — helped people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) leave the hospital about 1.6 days earlier than those who received standard care. Importantly, getting home sooner didn't seem to come at a cost — rates of being readmitted, needing another operation, or having complications within 30 days were similar between the two groups. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that using stem cells — special cells that can help repair damaged tissue — to treat painful tunnels that can form near the back passage (called perianal fistulas) in people with Crohn's disease led to healing in about 59–63% of patients over a period of one to four years, which is encouraging given how hard these complications can be to treat with standard approaches. For someone with Crohn's disease who has struggled with this kind of complication, this suggests stem cell treatment may offer a lasting benefit where other options have fallen short. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that a group of newer oral medications called S1P receptor modulators — which work by calming the immune system's activity in the gut — were significantly more effective than a placebo (inactive pill) at helping people with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, reach remission, meaning their symptoms eased or cleared up. The medications also showed benefits in reducing visible inflammation in the colon and healing the gut lining at a tissue level. Serious side effects were not more common than with placebo, though some milder side effects were slightly more frequent with one medication in particular. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that several newer medications — including a class of pills called JAK inhibitors and various biologic injections that target specific parts of the immune system — were significantly better than a placebo at helping people with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (a chronic condition where the large intestine becomes inflamed) achieve remission, meaning their symptoms calmed down. JAK inhibitors ranked highest both for getting symptoms under control quickly and for keeping them under control long-term, while older treatments like 5-ASA (a common anti-inflammatory medication) used alone did not show a clear benefit over placebo in this group of patients. This matters because people living with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis and their doctors may find it useful to know which treatment options have the strongest evidence behind them. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that following a Mediterranean diet — which focuses on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil — may help reduce inflammation and improve quality of life for people with inflammatory bowel disease, a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like pain and diarrhea. Looking at 12 studies involving over 1,600 patients with conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, the review suggested that sticking closely to this eating pattern was linked to better outcomes, including lower levels of a key inflammation marker in the blood. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — which includes conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis that cause ongoing inflammation in the digestive tract — shares overlapping genetic patterns with several mental health conditions, including anxiety, ADHD, autism, OCD, and PTSD, suggesting that the connection between gut health and brain health may be partly written into a person's DNA. This matters because it could help explain why people with IBD are so much more likely to also experience anxiety and depression than the general population — it may not simply be the stress of living with a chronic illness, but something deeper in shared biology. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
A study found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like pain, diarrhea, and fatigue — did better when nurses checked in with them regularly through scheduled calls and visits, compared to those who received standard care alone. After about a year, patients in the intensive nurse follow-up group were nearly twice as likely to reach a point where IBD had little impact on their daily life. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that among pregnant people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition causing chronic gut inflammation, like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), the type of biologic medication used during pregnancy may matter. Compared to TNF blockers (one type of biologic), two other biologics — vedolizumab and ustekinumab — were linked to higher rates of preterm birth (being born early), less controlled disease, and in one case, a higher rate of birth defects, though all biologics are generally considered relatively safe in pregnancy. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should know about the recent research comparing how safe TNF blockers, vedolizumab, and ustekinumab are during pregnancy, and which one might be the best choice if the patient is planning to get pregnant.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that when looking at all available studies on Crohn's disease that causes narrowing of the intestines (called 'stricturing' Crohn's, where the bowel becomes so inflamed and scarred that it tightens and makes it harder for food to pass through), there is a surprising lack of solid research — only a handful of studies met the bar for quality. The studies that did exist suggested that biologic therapies (a type of medication that targets specific parts of the immune system to reduce inflammation) may help some patients feel better and even reduce the need for surgery, but results varied depending on how severe the narrowing was. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition causing chronic gut inflammation, like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) often experience symptoms outside the gut, such as joint pain, skin problems, or eye issues, and that certain IBD medications work better than others for these 'outside the gut' symptoms. Specifically, a class of medications that block a protein called TNF helped about 61% of patients with joint problems, and another type called JAK inhibitors worked at a similar rate, while a different medication called vedolizumab was much less effective for joint symptoms — particularly pain in the spine. This matters because someone with IBD who also has joint or skin symptoms might respond very differently depending on which medication their doctor chooses. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that among people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition causing chronic inflammation in the digestive tract) who were taking a type of medication called anti-TNF therapy (which works by calming the immune system), about 1 in 11 developed a hidden, inactive form of tuberculosis (TB) during treatment — a finding that varied quite a bit depending on the country. This matters because inactive TB can become active and serious if the immune system is suppressed, yet current practice only checks for TB before starting this medication, not during it. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with Crohn's disease — a condition where the digestive tract becomes inflamed — who didn't feel better after 12 weeks on a medication called upadacitinib (Rinvoq) might still improve if given more time. A key clue was visible progress seen during a camera examination of the intestines (called an endoscopy) at week 12 — even when patients weren't feeling better yet, early healing inside the gut often predicted that they'd respond by week 24. This matters because it could help doctors decide who might benefit from continuing treatment a little longer rather than switching medications too soon. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Lifestyle
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing pain, fatigue, and urgent bathroom trips) often struggle to exercise regularly, even though staying physically active may help improve their quality of life. After reviewing 14 studies involving nearly 4,000 people, researchers found that the biggest things getting in the way of regular movement were disease flare-ups, tiredness, low mood, pain, and the sudden, urgent need to use the bathroom. People with Crohn's disease (one type of inflammatory bowel disease) were found to face even more of these obstacles than people with ulcerative colitis (the other main type).
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
A study found that older people with Crohn's disease — a condition where the digestive tract becomes inflamed — can benefit from a more proactive treatment approach aimed at healing the gut lining, without facing greater safety risks than younger patients. Researchers found that age alone didn't change how well this more intensive approach worked or how safe it was. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a condition that causes ongoing inflammation in the digestive system, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis — can sometimes develop inflammation around the eyes, affecting the eye muscles or tear glands. What makes this particularly interesting is that in some patients, these eye problems actually showed up before the IBD was even diagnosed, and the eye involvement was much more likely to affect both eyes at once compared to similar eye conditions in people without IBD. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 29, 2026
Researchers found that when children and teenagers with inflammatory bowel disease — a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like belly pain and diarrhea — switched from receiving infliximab through an IV drip to getting it as an injection under the skin, most of them stayed in remission (meaning their symptoms were well controlled) over about six months, and the amount of the medication in their blood actually increased, which may help the drug work better. The injected form was also generally well tolerated, with serious side effects being rare, though some children had mild reactions at the injection site. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 28, 2026
Researchers found that even when inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a condition that causes ongoing inflammation in the digestive system, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis — is under control, many people still struggle with severe tiredness that affects their daily life. A study tested whether a smartphone app offering a 7-week therapy-based program could help people with IBD in remission manage that fatigue and feel more confident handling their condition. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed (Guideline Reviews) · September 25, 2026
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, and the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices, people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition causing long-term inflammation in the digestive tract) should receive the Shingrix vaccine to protect against shingles, a painful nerve rash caused by a reactivated chickenpox virus. These guidelines specifically recommend the vaccine for IBD patients aged 50 and older, and also for those 19 and over who are taking medications that lower the immune system — since those treatments can raise the risk of getting shingles by up to twice the usual rate. The vaccine has been shown to offer strong protection without making IBD symptoms worse, even in people already on immune-lowering treatment, which is why their doctor may bring it up as part of routine IBD care.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should get the Shingrix vaccine since the patient takes immunosuppressive medications for IBD and has a higher chance of developing shingles.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.