Posts by Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH
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Midlife Antibiotic Use Linked to Subsequent Cognitive Decline in Women
Francine Grodstein, ScD, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, Raaj S. Mehta, MD, and colleagues found that chronic antibiotic use by women during the sixth decade of life was associated with minor decreases in cognitive scores assessed an average of seven years later.
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Initiating Screening Before Age 50 Reduces Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that starting endoscopic screening before age 50 is associated with a greater reduction in the absolute risk of colorectal cancer compared with starting at later ages. The data support national recommendations to start screening at age 45 for average-risk individuals.
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Different Brands of Continuous Glucose Monitors Yield Similar Measurements in Healthy Individuals
Jordi Merino, PhD, of the Diabetes Unit, and colleagues found good agreement between continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) of different brands when measuring glycemic responses to different foods and meals. Their findings suggest CGMs could someday be used to provide precision nutrition advice to healthy individuals.
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Red Meat Consumption Increases Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Women
In a large prospective cohort of U.S. women, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers found that a higher intake of red meat contributed to a significant, dose-dependent increased risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and this association was largely mediated by obesity.
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Prolonged, Regular Aspirin Use Linked to Reduced Risk of Gastric Cancer in Women
In two large U.S. prospective cohorts, Sohee Kwon, MD, MPH, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, and colleagues found an inverse relationship between aspirin use and gastric adenocarcinoma in women, expanding on prior research by examining aspirin use at a wide range of doses and durations over 34 years of follow-up.
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No Link Between Gluten Intake, Digestive System Cancers in People Without Celiac Disease
By analyzing data from three large U.S. longitudinal cohorts, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers found individuals without celiac disease are unlikely to reduce their risk of digestive system cancers by following a low-gluten or gluten-free diet.
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Sulfur Microbial Diet Linked to Precursor of Early-onset Colorectal Cancer
Long Nguyen, MD, Andrew Chan, MD, MPH, and colleagues found high intake of the sulfur microbial diet in early adulthood, and perhaps during adolescence, was associated with increased risk of early-onset conventional adenomas, the most common type of pre-cancerous colon polyps.
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Systemic Socioeconomic Inequities Underlie Racial/Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Infection
Using data on 2,102,364 people who reported their daily COVID-19 status on smartphones, Chun-Han Lo, MD, MPH, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, and colleagues confirmed social determinants of health play a critical role in the disproportionate risk of infection among people from U.S. and U.K. racial/ethnic minority groups.
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Diet High in Plant Foods Linked to Lower Risk, Severity of COVID-19
Jordi Merino, PhD, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that among 592,571 adults in the U.S. and U.K., a diet high in healthy plant foods was associated with lower risk and severity of COVID-19, even after accounting for health status, health behaviors, socioeconomic status and virus transmission measures.
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Medicare Data Suggest Vedolizumab Safe, Effective in Older Adults with IBD
Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have found that older adults with inflammatory bowel disease who initiate vedolizumab have a lower risk of infection-related hospitalization than those initiating a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor.
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Gluten Intake Does Not Influence Cognitive Function in People Without Celiac Disease
In a nationwide cohort of middle-aged women without celiac disease, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers found no evidence of a meaningful association between long-term gluten intake over two decades and subsequent performance on a validated cognitive battery.
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Research from the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit: The Gut Microbiome
Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, discusses his team's research on the role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease.
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Advances in Diverticulitis Treatment and Prevention
In this video, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, discusses advances in understanding the causes of diverticulitis and the significance of his team's research on disease prevention.
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Prior Antibiotics Linked to Increased Risk of New Diverticulitis in Older Adults
By analyzing a large prospective cohort of women, Long H. Nguyen, MD, MS, and Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit and the Division of Gastroenterology, and colleagues found that antibiotic use in mid- and late-adulthood, and recent antibiotic use regardless of age, were associated with subsequent development of diverticulitis.
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More Frequent Bowel Movements Tied to Higher Risk of Diverticulitis
Using two large prospective U.S. cohorts, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, Chief of the Clinical Translational Epidemiology Unit and Vice-chair of the Division of Gastroenterology, and colleagues observed an inverse association between bowel movement frequency and risk of diverticulitis in both women and men.
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Physical Activity Reduces Chronic Liver Disease Mortality Risk
Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have demonstrated for the first time that exercise is an independent determinant of mortality from cirrhosis and its complications.
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Risk of COVID-19 for Health Care Providers Higher Than General Population Even with Adequate PPE
The risk of COVID-19 is at least three times higher for health care providers than for the general public, with race/ethnicity a significant predictor of risk.
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MGH Research Scholars Respond to COVID-19
This video highlights how the MGH Research Scholars rapidly mobilized to address key medical and scientific challenges posed by COVID-19.
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Aspirin May Accelerate Progression of Advanced Cancers in Older Adults
Aspirin use in older adults was associated with an approximately 20% higher risk of the cancer spreading through the body and of a stage four (advanced) cancer diagnosis.
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Sulfur-metabolizing Bacteria Linked to Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Long-term adherence to a dietary pattern associated with sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in stool is associated with increased risk of distal colon and rectal cancer, according to data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
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Daily Low-Dose Aspirin Intake Related to Major GI Bleeding Risk in Elderly
Daily low-dose aspirin intake in healthy elderly individuals increased the risk of serious gastrointestinal bleeding, according to a large randomized trial of over 19,000 individuals over 70 years old.
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Aspirin Doubles Risk for Upper GI Bleeding Events in Older Adults
Analysis from the large, controlled ASPREE trial found that aspirin use almost doubles the risk for serious upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly.
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Public Health: Surveying COVID-19 Symptoms
Existing predictive models show an incomplete picture when mapping the transmission and spread of COVID-19. Participatory syndromic-surveillance tools that utilize the Internet and mobile devices can provide faster, more accurate predictive models of infectious disease transmission and help address critical needs.
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Coffee, Tea and Soda Increase Risk of Gastroesophageal Reflux
Consumption of coffee, tea or soda is associated with modestly increased risk of heartburn and acid regurgitation, and the relationship seems to be dose dependent, according to the first prospective study of this issue.
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COVID-19 Symptom App to Study Disease Onset and Progression
Researchers led by Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, have developed a COVID-19 symptom research app, which already has close to 2 million users each day.
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Anti-inflammatory Diet May Prevent, Treat Diverticulitis
Data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study show a significant association between chronic inflammation and subsequent risk of diverticulitis.
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New Female-centric Research Provides Dietary Guidance for Preventing Diverticulitis
Gastroenterologists at Massachusetts General Hospital have conducted the first comprehensive, prospective evaluation of dietary fiber intake in relation to the risk of diverticulitis in women.
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Review: Lifestyle Factors, Changes in Gut Microbiota Are Linked in Development of Colorectal Cancer
Both diet, lifestyle and the gut microbiome have been implicated in colorectal tumorigenesis. Accumulating evidence suggests these two influences are related and may point the way to better prevention strategies.
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TV Viewing Time May Affect Risk of Young-onset Colorectal Cancer
Using data from the prospective Nurses Health Study II, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center have found that a moderate amount of television watching is associated with greater risk of developing colorectal cancer before age 50.
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Characterizing the Stability of the Gut Microbiome
By studying the stability of the structure and function of the fecal microbiome, gastroenterologists at Massachusetts General Hospital are working to determine which features of the microbiome might represent diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers.
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BMI Linked to Diverticulitis in Women
Using data from the Nurses' Health Study, gastroenterologists at Massachusetts General Hospital found an independent association between BMI and risk of diverticulitis in women.
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Fiber Intake Has Survival Benefit in Patients Already Diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer
In the first prospective study of the topic, gastroenterologists and epidemiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital found that higher fiber intake after a diagnosis of nonmetastatic colorectal cancer is associated with longer survival.
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Antibiotic Use Linked to Colorectal Adenoma in Women
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have become the first to link the duration of antibiotic use to colorectal adenoma, the primary precursor of colorectal cancer.
Digestive Healthcare at Mass General
The Massachusetts General Hospital Digestive Healthcare Center is a collaborative practice of gastroenterologists, endoscopists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, hepatologists, oncologists and radiation oncologists dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of digestive diseases.