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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 · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a structured self-management program — where people with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes learn skills to manage their health day-to-day — led to lasting improvements in sleep, pain, fatigue, and mood, even six months after the program ended, across many different countries. For someone with type 2 diabetes, this matters because managing a long-term condition involves a lot more than just medication — things like energy levels, sleep, and emotional well-being all affect how well someone can stay on top of their health. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that digital health tools — things like apps, online symptom trackers, and remote monitoring platforms — show real promise for helping people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, manage their condition day to day. Because IBD can flare up unpredictably between doctor's appointments, these tools could help patients and their doctors catch problems earlier and stay more connected without requiring constant in-person visits. That said, researchers noted these tools still need improvement to work well for different groups of people. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a condition that causes ongoing inflammation in the digestive tract, like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis — are better able to manage their health day-to-day when they feel a sense of control over their condition, have emotional resilience, and receive supportive feedback from their healthcare team. The review also found that no single explanation fully captures why some people manage IBD well on their own while others struggle, suggesting that effective support programs need to address both emotional and relational factors, not just medical ones. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that risankizumab, a medication that calms a specific part of the immune system, was significantly more effective than a placebo at helping people with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease reach remission — meaning their symptoms improved or went away — both in the short term and over longer periods, and it also helped reduce visible inflammation in the gut lining. Importantly, the medication appeared to work even for people who had already tried other biologic treatments (medicines that target the immune system) without success, which is a common and difficult challenge for those living with Crohn's disease. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · September 1, 2026
According to the Rome Foundation and the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD), people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a condition where the gut is chronically inflamed — sometimes still have stomach pain, bloating, and unpredictable bowel habits even when their IBD is under control, and these leftover symptoms can look a lot like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a separate condition involving gut discomfort without visible inflammation. These guidelines recommend that doctors use a specific set of recognized symptom criteria combined with tests that confirm inflammation is not the cause, before labeling these symptoms as 'IBD with IBS-like symptoms' — this matters because without a clear diagnosis, patients may end up receiving stronger IBD treatments they don't actually need. Having a shared definition helps doctors have more precise conversations with their patients and choose approaches that actually match what's going on.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient's ongoing belly pain and bloating could be IBS-like symptoms separate from the IBD itself, rather than a sign that the IBD is getting worse.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that for people with Crohn's disease affecting a specific part of the intestine (where the small and large intestine meet), having surgery early to remove that section may offer some advantages over starting with powerful medications like biologics — drugs that calm the immune system. Researchers found that patients who had surgery first were much less likely to need additional surgery later, and nearly half of them were medication-free at the end of the follow-up period, while everyone in the medication group still needed ongoing treatment or surgery. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should know about surgery to remove the affected part of the intestines as an option, since some recent research shows it might work as well as biologic drugs for localized Crohn's disease that doesn't respond to standard treatment.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that ultrasound — a painless imaging tool that uses sound waves to look inside the body — is being studied as a way to check whether treatment for Crohn's disease is working all the way through the bowel wall, not just on the surface. By reviewing 83 studies, they found that most researchers agree on some basic signs of deep healing, like a thinner bowel wall, but the exact measurements and rules used vary quite a bit from study to study, making it hard to compare results. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that guselkumab, a medication that targets a specific part of the immune system to reduce inflammation, helped many people with moderate to severe Crohn's disease — a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed — maintain symptom relief over five years, with a large portion also showing healing of the intestinal lining on examination. This long-lasting response was especially notable in people who had never tried a biologic medication before, which is a type of treatment made from living cells that works by calming the immune system. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that when people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition causing chronic inflammation in the digestive tract, like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) go to the emergency room and get a CT scan of the abdomen, serious complications like abscesses (pockets of infection) or tears in the intestine were actually found pretty rarely — only a small fraction of scans showed these dangerous problems. This is interesting because it raises questions about how often CT scans are truly necessary in the ER for IBD patients, which matters because CT scans involve radiation exposure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed) who took JAK inhibitor medications, a type of pill used to calm the immune system, developed acne at a rate of about 1 in 12, with younger patients and those taking a specific drug called upadacitinib being more likely to experience it. This matters because acne can be an unexpected and bothersome side effect that patients and their doctors may want to watch for when choosing or starting this type of treatment. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that East Asian patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis — a condition where the large intestine becomes inflamed and causes symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal pain — were significantly more likely to reach remission (meaning their symptoms calmed down) when taking a medication called upadacitinib compared to those who took a placebo, or dummy pill. The medication also appeared to help heal the lining of the intestine, and researchers did not spot any unexpected safety concerns in this group. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · August 28, 2026
Researchers found that risankizumab (brand name Skyrizi) — a medication that works by blocking a protein in the immune system called IL-23, which drives inflammation — helped people with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (both forms of inflammatory bowel disease, where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed) achieve remission, meaning their symptoms calmed down significantly. The study, which looked at data from over 6,600 patients across 17 studies, found this was true even for people whose disease had stopped responding to other biologic treatments — medicines that target the immune system to reduce inflammation. Risankizumab appeared to be well tolerated, with most side effects being mild, such as joint pain, headaches, and cold-like symptoms, making it a potentially valuable new option for people who haven't had success with earlier treatments.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether risankizumab might be an option for the patient if the patient's inflammatory bowel disease hasn't responded well to other treatments.
What's New
PubMed · August 22, 2026
Researchers found that a class of medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, where the gut becomes chronically inflamed — behaves differently in IBD patients compared to people with other inflammatory conditions like psoriasis. Specifically, levels of one drug, risankizumab, tended to build up over time in people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, which could affect how well the medication works or how side effects might develop. This matters because nearly half of IBD patients don't respond well enough to these treatments, and understanding why drug levels vary from person to person could eventually help doctors find the right dose for each patient. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 18, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza may be safe and helpful for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition where the digestive tract is chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like belly pain and diarrhea). Across 10 studies involving nearly 8,000 patients, people lost a meaningful amount of weight, their blood sugar level (A1C) and cholesterol improved, and importantly, the medication did not appear to make their IBD worse — in fact, a key marker of gut inflammation actually went down. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 18, 2026
Researchers found that blocking a specific enzyme made by gut bacteria — called sialidase — helped reduce inflammation and repair the protective mucus lining of the gut in people with ulcerative colitis, a condition where the inner lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and ulcerated. Unlike antibiotics, which can wipe out many beneficial bacteria at once, this approach appeared to preserve a healthy balance of gut bacteria while specifically encouraging the growth of bacteria that support gut health. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that a type of talk therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — which helps people change how they relate to difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them — may help reduce anxiety in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed. When compared specifically to receiving no extra support, ACT also showed promising reductions in depression and stress, though the evidence for improvements in the physical disease itself was less convincing. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that for people with Crohn's disease who need surgery, robotic surgery may lead to fewer complications after the operation compared to the more traditional minimally invasive approach called laparoscopic surgery — where a surgeon uses a small camera and thin tools through tiny incisions. However, robotic surgery did take noticeably longer in the operating room, and things like hospital stay length, wound infections, and the need for a second surgery were similar between the two methods. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that a major surgery used to treat inflammatory bowel disease — where the colon is removed and a small internal pouch is created so the body can still pass waste normally — has become much less invasive over the past 30 years. The use of laparoscopic surgery (a 'keyhole' technique using small incisions instead of one large opening) jumped from about 12% of cases in the 1980s and 90s to over 54% in more recent years, and patients are now leaving the hospital in roughly 8 days on average compared to nearly 12 days in earlier decades. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
Researchers found that certain medications called JAK inhibitors — including tofacitinib and upadacitinib — showed promising results for people with a severe flare-up of ulcerative colitis, a condition where the large intestine becomes badly inflamed. In the short term, roughly 78–87% of patients responded well to these medications, and only about 1 in 9 still needed surgery to remove their colon. This matters because severe ulcerative colitis flares can be life-threatening and hard to treat, so having additional medication options could be meaningful for patients who don't respond to other treatments. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 1, 2026
A study found that teenagers with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, causing symptoms like stomach pain and diarrhea) who used a self-management smartphone app reported feeling less stressed and getting more sleep after just one month, compared to teens who didn't use the app. Since stress and poor sleep can make IBD harder to manage, tools that help with these areas could be meaningful for young people living with the condition. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 27, 2026
Researchers found that a simple, inexpensive measurement already included in a routine blood test — called red cell distribution width (RDW), which shows how much the size of red blood cells varies — is noticeably higher in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) compared to healthy people, and rises even further when the disease is actively flaring rather than in a calm phase called remission. This could matter for people with IBD because it suggests a test they're likely already having done might offer doctors an extra clue about how active their disease is, without needing additional testing. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 20, 2026
Researchers found that ustekinumab, a medication used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition causing chronic inflammation in the digestive tract), showed promising results in children and teens whose symptoms didn't improve with an earlier type of medication. Across 15 studies involving 653 young patients, roughly 68% achieved remission — meaning their symptoms calmed down significantly — after about a year, and serious side effects were rare, occurring in only about 1% of patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 11, 2026
Researchers found that in Crohn's disease clinical trials, some patients who received a placebo — a treatment with no active medicine — still showed real improvement in their gut inflammation, which can make it harder to tell how well a new drug is actually working. By analyzing detailed gut-lining scores from 155 placebo-treated patients over more than a year, the researchers built a mathematical model that could accurately predict which patients were likely to improve or not, even without active treatment. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a protein called hepcidin — which controls how the body absorbs and uses iron — could help predict whether people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, a condition that causes ongoing inflammation in the digestive tract) would respond well to iron treatment for anemia, a condition where the blood doesn't carry enough oxygen. Specifically, people with higher hepcidin levels in their blood were less likely to benefit from iron pills, suggesting that a simple blood test might one day help doctors choose between iron pills or an IV iron infusion for their patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · July 1, 2026
A group of international experts developed recommendations on using intestinal ultrasound — a painless, non-invasive imaging tool that uses sound waves to look inside the body — to check whether Crohn's disease has come back after surgery. The experts used a structured voting process to agree on when and how this type of scan should be used, since no clear standard existed before. For people with Crohn's disease who have had surgery, having a reliable, comfortable way to monitor for signs of the disease returning could make follow-up care easier and less invasive than other methods.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that a new type of enema using a medication called tacrolimus helped people with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis — a condition where the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and causes symptoms like rectal bleeding and discomfort — who hadn't improved with standard treatment. More than half of the patients went into remission (meaning their symptoms largely cleared up) within 4 weeks, and most stopped experiencing rectal bleeding within 2 weeks. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that Crohn's disease — a type of inflammatory bowel disease — can sometimes affect the esophagus (the tube connecting the throat to the stomach), though this is quite rare. Looking at 100 adult patients, the most common symptom was difficulty swallowing, and doctors were usually able to spot the problem using a camera scope down the throat, which revealed sores and narrowing of the esophagus in many patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · July 1, 2026
A study looking at data from over 1.25 million people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — a condition where the digestive system becomes chronically inflamed, like in Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis — found that a person's ethnic background and where they live may affect how the disease shows up in their body. For example, researchers found that Asian individuals with Crohn's disease were more likely to develop perianal disease (painful complications around the anal area) compared to White or Hispanic individuals, and that people of Asian descent who had immigrated were more likely to have a family history of IBD than those still living in their home country. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Lifestyle
PubMed · July 1, 2026
Researchers found that teenagers and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition causing ongoing inflammation in the digestive system) who attended eight weekly group sessions of mindfulness-based stress reduction — a structured program teaching techniques like focused breathing and body awareness — showed some improvement in disease severity and quality of life compared to those who waited for treatment. Participants also reported feeling more connected to their bodies and found it valuable to meet others their age living with IBD. However, about one in three people chose not to attend any sessions at all, and the improvements did not reach the level researchers look for to be statistically confident the program was responsible for the change.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.