Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the impact of lifestyle modifications on the risk of eradication failure in patients undergoing first-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection.Methods: A survey was conducted in a community pharmacy to assess changes in alcohol consumption, smoking, and high-fat diet intake before, during, and after first-line therapy for H. pylori infection in enrolled patients.Results: A total of 100 patients (response rate: 3.4%) were included in the analysis. Before therapy, 20 patients (20%) smoked, 35 patients (35%) consumed alcohol, and 91 patients (91%) had a high-fat diet. During therapy, the proportion of patients who changed their habits was 15.0% (3/20) for smoking, 71.4% (25/35) for alcohol consumption, and 28.6% (26/91) for high-fat diet. However, the continuation of these changes post-therapy was minimal.Conclusion: Among patients undergoing first-line therapy for H. pylori infection, lifestyle habits that increase the risk of eradication failure were prevalent, with many patients maintaining their habits during therapy except for alcohol consumption. These findings provide fundamental data for lifestyle counselling during eradication therapy.

Background/Aims: Several studies have assessed the effect of cool temperature on colonic peristalsis. Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) is a temperature-sensitive ion channel activated by mild cooling expressed in the colon. We examined the antispasmodic effect of cool temperature on colonic peristalsis in a prospective, randomized, single-blind trial and based on the video imaging and intraluminal pressure of the proximal colon in rats and TRPM8-deficient mice. Methods: In the clinical trial, we randomly assigned a total of 94 patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy to 2 groups: the mildly cool water (n = 47) and control (n = 47) groups. We used 20 mL of 15°C water for the mildly cool water. The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects with improved peristalsis after treatment. In the rodent proximal colon, we evaluated the intraluminal pressure and performed video imaging of the rodent proximal colon with cool water administration into the colonic lumen. Clinical trial registry website (Trial No. UMIN-CTR; UMIN000030725). Results: In the randomized controlled trial, after treatment, the proportion of subjects with no peristalsis with cool water was significantly higher than that in the placebo group (44.7% vs 23.4%; P < 0.05). In the rodent colon model, cool temperature water was associated with a significant decrease in colonic peristalsis through its suppression of the ratio of peak frequency (P < 0.05). Cool temperaturetreated TRPM8-deficient mice did not show a reduction in colonic peristalsis compared with wild-type mice. Conclusion For the first time, this study demonstrates that cool temperature-dependent suppression of colonic peristalsis may be associated with TRPM8 activation.

A laser endoscopy system was developed in 2012. The system allows blue laser imaging (BLI), BLI-bright, and linked color imaging (LCI) to be performed as modes of narrow-band light observation; these modes have been reported to be useful for tumor detection and characterization. Furthermore, an innovative endoscopy system using four-light emitting diode (LED) multilight technology was released in 2016 to 2017 in some areas in which laser endoscopes have not been approved for use, including the United States and Europe. This system enables blue light imaging (this is also known as BLI) and LCI with an LED light source instead of a laser light source. Several reports have shown that these modes have improved tumor detection. In this paper, we review the efficacy of BLI and LCI with laser and LED endoscopes in tumor detection and characterization.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Endoscopes ; Endoscopy ; Europe ; United States

Objective: To determine the extent of pharmacists’ burden of inquiries from healthcare professionals in community pharmacies. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Methods: A web-based survey was administered to pharmacists affiliated with Medical System Network Group, Inc.’s community pharmacies in Japan. The survey was conducted from February 15 to March 31, 2022. The primary outcome was the burden of inquiries from healthcare professionals and the secondary outcome was the level of burden by job category. Healthcare professionals were defined as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrators, care managers, and nursing home staff. To assess the degree of burden, participants were asked “Do you feel burdened by inquiries from health care professionals ? ” and their response was rated on a 5-point Likert scale (not at all, slightly, a little, a lot, and very much). The responses “a lot” and “very much” were combined and defined as “burdened.” To identify the causes of burden, factors of burden and inquiries were investigated. Results: Totally, 1,667 participants were recruited, of which 915 (54.9%) were included in the analysis (women: 62.6%). The participants had a median age of 38 years (interquartile range 31, 48), and worked as pharmacists for 12 years (interquartile range 5, 20). Nearly 13.5% of the respondents felt burdened by inquiries from healthcare professionals and 34.7% reported that physician inquiries were burdensome. The most common reason for feeling burdened was a lack of knowledge about the inquiries (77.3%). Conclusion: It was found that 13.5% of respondents felt burdened when dealing with inquiries from healthcare professionals to pharmacists. In particular, a high percentage of respondents felt burdened by inquiries from physicians. Further research is needed to clarify whether the introduction of a tool that matches the results of this study will reduce the burden of responding to inquiries.