← Issue №5/ week of Aug 2, 2026/ the whole section, in full

IBD, in full.

All 19 IBD papers in this issue, as full cards, ranked by clinical utility. The issue page carries the strongest few; this is the section, whole.

Sections this issue
Filter

All 19, in full

most clinically useful first · the 1 the issue led with is ruled in green
Everything here, in one line each19
IBD prospective cohort · n=151 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Prospective real-world experience with risankizumab in difficult-to-treat Crohn's disease: results from the Dutch Initiative on Crohn and Colitis Registry.

New evidenceCrohn's diseasebiologicstherapeutic drug monitoring
Clinical takeawayConsider risankizumab for difficult-to-treat Crohn's disease (failure of ≥2 advanced therapies with different mechanisms), with monitoring for adverse events (35.3 possibly and 16.6 probably related events per 100 person-years).
What it found50% of Crohn's disease patients with baseline Harvey-Bradshaw Index >4 achieved corticosteroid-free clinical remission (CSFCR) at week 24 with risankizumab; 51.8% in difficult-to-treat disease (failure of ≥2 advanced therapies with different mechanisms).
ContextConfirms risankizumab's effectiveness in a real-world setting, including difficult-to-treat Crohn's disease, aligning with prior trial data but adding real-world evidence.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakeusing risankizumab in patients with difficult-to-treat Crohn's disease

… DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text. The rest of this standard includes MILD-TO-MODERATE.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Verleye LMM … Dutch Initiative on Crohn and Colitis (ICC) · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=411 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Transmural improvement may be an acceptable target in patients with Crohns disease.

New evidenceCrohn's diseasebiologicstherapeutic drug monitoringIBD surgery
Clinical takeawayConsider transmural improvement (SES-CD decrease ≥50% and sMaRIA decrease ≥1 with ≤25% bowel wall thickness reduction) as a treatment target in Crohn's patients unable to achieve transmural remission, but monitor stricturing disease more closely due to higher surgery (HR 4.043) and hospitalization (HR 3.704) risks.
What it foundTransmural improvement in Crohn's disease reduced surgery to 16.3% vs 46.8% with no transmural improvement, hospitalization to 30.8% vs 55.4%, and steroid use to 34.6% vs 51.1%.
ContextRefines current practice by suggesting transmural improvement as a viable alternative to transmural remission, which is seldom achieved, while confirming its association with better outcomes.
Refinessuggested applicable standard· American Gastroenterological Association, 'AGA Clinical Practice Update on Surgical Risk Assessment and Perioperative Management in Cirrhosis: Expert Review' (Northup PG et al., Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019;17(4):595-606). DOI 10.1016/j.cgh.2018.09.043, PMID 30273751.

Decision at stakewhether to clear Crohn's disease patients for elective surgery based on transmural disease activity

… Defer elective surgery for active GI bleeding, active IBD flare, recent pancreatitis, or unoptimized anemia, and specify perioperative precautions (stress-dose steroids, biologic hold matrix, GLP-1/SGLT2 holds, aspiration precautions) where indicated.

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text.

Our full summary of this standard

Determine GI surgical clearance based on the specific condition and its activity rather than an automatic sign-off: most stable chronic GI conditions (GERD, IBS, controlled IBD, compensated MASLD, asymptomatic gallstones) may be cleared, while active conditions, cirrhosis, and perioperative drug management require explicit stratification and documentation. For any cirrhotic patient, perform mandatory risk stratification with VOCAL-Penn and Child-Pugh class before clearance; manage variceal prophylaxis per individualized endoscopic and hemodynamic assessment (including NSBB for appropriate candidates) and address rebalanced hemostasis without prophylactic INR correction. Defer elective surgery for active GI bleeding, active IBD flare, recent pancreatitis, or unoptimized anemia, and specify perioperative precautions (stress-dose steroids, biologic hold matrix, GLP-1/SGLT2 holds, aspiration precautions) where indicated.

American Gastroenterological Association, 'AGA Clinical Practice Update on Surgical Risk Assessment and Perioperative Management in Cirrhosis: Expert Review' (Northup PG et al., Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019;17(4):595-606). DOI 10.1016/j.cgh.2018.09.043, PMID 30273751. · reviewed 2026-07-21 ↗
Fernandes SR … Correia LA · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD meta analysis · n=3,247 · Aug 2, 2026 · J Gastroenterology · IF 5.7

S1P receptor modulators for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis.

New evidenceulcerative colitisS1P modulatorssystematic reviewmeta-analysis
Clinical takeawayConsider S1P receptor modulators (e.g., etrasimod) as an oral advanced therapy option for adults with moderate-to-severe UC, given their efficacy vs placebo and acceptable safety profile, noting modestly higher TEAEs with etrasimod.
What it foundS1P receptor modulators achieved clinical remission in 2.77 times more patients than placebo (95% CI 2.17-3.55) during induction, with similar benefits for clinical response, endoscopic improvement, and histological remission.
ContextConfirms and strengthens current guideline recommendations for S1P receptor modulators in moderate-to-severe UC, with moderate-to-high certainty evidence across multiple outcomes.
Measured against the standard of care· AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026)

Decision at stakepositioning S1P receptor modulators as an advanced therapy for moderate-to-severe UC

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. … Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text.

Our full summary of this standard

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. Confirm UC with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step C. difficile testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA chosen by route and extent: suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided disease, oral plus rectal for extensive disease. If 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab. Intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab. Lower: adalimumab. Previously TNF-exposed, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab. Lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod. After anti-TNF primary non-response, switch mechanism rather than cycling within the class. Treat to target (STRIDE-II): endoscopic improvement, Mayo endoscopic subscore 0-1. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after diagnosis for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening. Inpatient care now follows the 2026 AGA Clinical Practice Update (13 best-practice statements). Admit for severe symptoms refractory to outpatient therapy, suspected complications (obstruction, abscess, toxic megacolon) or significant malnutrition, and identify acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts. Give every patient admitted with diarrhea two-step C. difficile testing. Test for CMV, with early endoscopy, if symptoms worsen, the patient is systemically toxic or disease is steroid-refractory. Give routine VTE prophylaxis with LMWH or fondaparinux unless contraindicated, and individualize post-discharge extension. Give IV methylprednisolone 60 mg/day or equivalent; the AGA living guideline says 40-60 mg/day, and higher doses add no benefit. Do not give adjunctive antibiotics without infection. Involve surgery early. Assess response by day 3 (72 h) using stool frequency and CRP (Oxford criteria); do not continue IV steroids beyond about 7 days without response. Rescue steroid non-responders with infliximab (accelerated or intensified dosing in selected patients with high inflammatory burden or protein-losing colopathy), cyclosporine, or a JAK inhibitor at standard or intensified dosing, or with colectomy. Before discharge, the response should be stable and a transition plan should be in place.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Jomaa A … Al-Obaidi H · Journal of Gastroenterology · IF 5.7 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=2,532,450 · Aug 1, 2026 · J Clin Gastro · IF 2.9

Trends in Substance Use Disorder Among Hospitalized Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An 11-Year Nationwide Study.

New evidenceepidemiologyCrohn's diseaseulcerative colitis
Clinical takeawayScreen hospitalized IBD patients, particularly those with Crohn's disease, male sex, Medicaid insurance, or lower income, for substance use disorder (SUD), with a focus on alcohol, opioid, and cannabis use, and consider integrated care models for SUD management.
What it foundSUD prevalence in hospitalized IBD patients increased from 23.8% to 27.9% in Crohn's disease and 14.2% to 19.4% in ulcerative colitis from 2010 to 2020, with higher rates in Crohn's disease. Patients with SUD were more likely to be male, have Medicaid insurance, and be in a lower income quartile.
ContextConfirms and quantifies the rising trend of SUD in IBD patients, highlighting a need for targeted interventions in this population, especially in higher-risk subgroups.
Measured against the standard of care· AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026)

Decision at stakethe recommendation holds, but with a new subgroup of patients with SUD requiring additional monitoring

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. Confirm UC with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step C. difficile testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA chosen by route and extent: suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided disease, oral plus rectal for extensive disease. If 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab. Intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab. Lower: adalimumab. Previously TNF-exposed, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab. Lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod. After anti-TNF primary non-response, switch mechanism rather than cycling within the class. Treat to target (STRIDE-II): endoscopic improvement, Mayo endoscopic subscore 0-1. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after diagnosis for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening. Inpatient care now follows the 2026 AGA Clinical Practice Update (13 best-practice statements). Admit for severe symptoms refractory to outpatient therapy, suspected complications (obstruction, abscess, toxic megacolon) or significant malnutrition, and identify acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts. Give every patient admitted with diarrhea two-step C. difficile testing. Test for CMV, with early endoscopy, if symptoms worsen, the patient is systemically toxic or disease is steroid-refractory. Give routine VTE prophylaxis with LMWH or fondaparinux unless contraindicated, and individualize post-discharge extension. Give IV methylprednisolone 60 mg/day or equivalent; the AGA living guideline says 40-60 mg/day, and higher doses add no benefit. Do not give adjunctive antibiotics without infection. Involve surgery early. Assess response by day 3 (72 h) using stool frequency and CRP (Oxford criteria); do not continue IV steroids beyond about 7 days without response. Rescue steroid non-responders with infliximab (accelerated or intensified dosing in selected patients with high inflammatory burden or protein-losing colopathy), cyclosporine, or a JAK inhibitor at standard or intensified dosing, or with colectomy. Before discharge, the response should be stable and a transition plan should be in place.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Zheng M … Limketkai BN · Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology · IF 2.9 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=3,262,623 · Aug 1, 2026 · J Clin Gastro · IF 2.9

Suicide Attempts, Schizophrenia, and Depression Among Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: Data From a Large Database.

Epidemiologyepidemiology
Clinical takeawayScreen all IBD patients (not just CD) for depression and schizophrenia, prioritizing females, smokers, and those with psychiatric history; discuss suicide risk and refer high-risk patients to mental health services given elevated mortality.
What it foundIBD patients had higher rates of suicide attempts (1.5% CD, 1.1% UC), schizophrenia (1.3% CD, 1.4% UC), and depression (25.7% CD, 23.0% UC) compared to general population rates (not stated in abstract); schizophrenia (OR 9.873) and depression (OR 8.964) were strongest predictors of suicide attempts, with 20% mortality in attempters vs 14.6% non-attempters.
ContextConfirms and quantifies psychiatric comorbidity in IBD, highlighting schizophrenia and depression as major suicide risk factors with mortality consequences.
Measured against the standard of care· AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026)

Decision at stakeproactive mental health screening and integrated psychology services for IBD patients

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. Confirm UC with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step C. difficile testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA chosen by route and extent: suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided disease, oral plus rectal for extensive disease. If 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab. Intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab. Lower: adalimumab. Previously TNF-exposed, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab. Lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod. After anti-TNF primary non-response, switch mechanism rather than cycling within the class. Treat to target (STRIDE-II): endoscopic improvement, Mayo endoscopic subscore 0-1. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after diagnosis for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening. Inpatient care now follows the 2026 AGA Clinical Practice Update (13 best-practice statements). Admit for severe symptoms refractory to outpatient therapy, suspected complications (obstruction, abscess, toxic megacolon) or significant malnutrition, and identify acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts. Give every patient admitted with diarrhea two-step C. difficile testing. Test for CMV, with early endoscopy, if symptoms worsen, the patient is systemically toxic or disease is steroid-refractory. Give routine VTE prophylaxis with LMWH or fondaparinux unless contraindicated, and individualize post-discharge extension. Give IV methylprednisolone 60 mg/day or equivalent; the AGA living guideline says 40-60 mg/day, and higher doses add no benefit. Do not give adjunctive antibiotics without infection. Involve surgery early. Assess response by day 3 (72 h) using stool frequency and CRP (Oxford criteria); do not continue IV steroids beyond about 7 days without response. Rescue steroid non-responders with infliximab (accelerated or intensified dosing in selected patients with high inflammatory burden or protein-losing colopathy), cyclosporine, or a JAK inhibitor at standard or intensified dosing, or with colectomy. Before discharge, the response should be stable and a transition plan should be in place.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Richter V … Abu-Freha N · Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology · IF 2.9 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=102 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Development and validation of a predictive model for early failure of biological therapy in perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease based on three-dimensional transrectal ultrasound.

New evidenceCrohn's diseasebiologicsperianal diseasebiomarker
Clinical takeawayConsider using the 3D-TRUS nomogram to assess risk of early biologic failure in pfCD patients, particularly if main fistula length ≥2 cm, inflammatory mass size >2 cm, or increasing internal orifice-anal margin distance are present, to guide decisions on treatment escalation or switch.
What it foundA 3D-TRUS nomogram (AUC 0.955) predicts early biologic failure in pfCD using main fistula length ≥2 cm, inflammatory mass size >2 cm, and internal orifice-anal margin distance (per 1-mm increase).
ContextCurrent practice lacks validated tools to predict early biologic failure in pfCD. This study provides a novel, validated model using 3D-TRUS parameters, addressing a significant gap in personalized treatment planning.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakethe use of infliximab or adalimumab for induction in perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease

… MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. … ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text. The rest of this standard includes DIAGNOSIS.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Ding SS … Xu HX · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD meta analysis · n=9,450,000 · Aug 1, 2026 · J Clin Gastro · IF 2.9

Comparative Outcomes After Index Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

New evidencesystematic reviewmeta-analysisepidemiology
Clinical takeawayConsider cardiovascular risk stratification and bleeding risk mitigation in IBD patients post-MI, given their higher complication risks.
What it foundIBD patients post-MI had higher risks of MACE (HR 1.31), all-cause mortality (HR 1.25), recurrent MI (HR 1.22), major bleeding (OR 1.38), and transfusion (OR 1.41) vs non-IBD controls.
ContextConfirms and quantifies elevated post-MI risks in IBD, a population previously known to have higher baseline cardiovascular risk but with limited post-event outcome data.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakecardiovascular risk assessment and management in patients with Crohn's disease

… DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text. The rest of this standard includes MILD-TO-MODERATE.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Nguyen B … Singh S · Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology · IF 2.9 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD prospective cohort · n=117 · Aug 1, 2026 · J Clin Gastro · IF 2.9

Fiber Intake in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Impact of Disease Activity and Predictors of High Fiber Intake.

New evidenceulcerative colitisCrohn's diseasediet therapyepidemiology
Clinical takeawayCounsel IBD patients, especially those with active UC, on the benefits of high fiber diets and provide nutritional education to improve intake.
What it foundOnly 26% of IBD patients consumed high fiber diets (≥30 g/day for men, ≥25 g/day for women), with lower intake in active vs. inactive disease (19 g vs. 24 g, P=0.0048), particularly in UC (13 g vs. 22 g, P=0.0044).
ContextConfirms prior evidence that IBD patients often fall short of dietary fiber recommendations, particularly during active disease, and highlights UC as a subgroup with notably lower intake.
Measured against the standard of care· AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026)

Decision at stakethe role of dietary fiber in managing ulcerative colitis

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. Confirm UC with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step C. difficile testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA chosen by route and extent: suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided disease, oral plus rectal for extensive disease. If 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab. Intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab. Lower: adalimumab. Previously TNF-exposed, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab. Lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod. After anti-TNF primary non-response, switch mechanism rather than cycling within the class. Treat to target (STRIDE-II): endoscopic improvement, Mayo endoscopic subscore 0-1. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after diagnosis for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening. Inpatient care now follows the 2026 AGA Clinical Practice Update (13 best-practice statements). Admit for severe symptoms refractory to outpatient therapy, suspected complications (obstruction, abscess, toxic megacolon) or significant malnutrition, and identify acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts. Give every patient admitted with diarrhea two-step C. difficile testing. Test for CMV, with early endoscopy, if symptoms worsen, the patient is systemically toxic or disease is steroid-refractory. Give routine VTE prophylaxis with LMWH or fondaparinux unless contraindicated, and individualize post-discharge extension. Give IV methylprednisolone 60 mg/day or equivalent; the AGA living guideline says 40-60 mg/day, and higher doses add no benefit. Do not give adjunctive antibiotics without infection. Involve surgery early. Assess response by day 3 (72 h) using stool frequency and CRP (Oxford criteria); do not continue IV steroids beyond about 7 days without response. Rescue steroid non-responders with infliximab (accelerated or intensified dosing in selected patients with high inflammatory burden or protein-losing colopathy), cyclosporine, or a JAK inhibitor at standard or intensified dosing, or with colectomy. Before discharge, the response should be stable and a transition plan should be in place.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Vasudevan J … Feagins LA · Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology · IF 2.9 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=71 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Transmural healing is significantly associated with prevention of clinical relapse in Crohn's disease.

New evidenceCrohn's diseasebiologicstherapeutic drug monitoring
Clinical takeawayConsider prioritizing radiologic remission (transmural healing, assessed by simplified MaRIA score) as a treatment target in ileal Crohn's disease, as it predicts reduced clinical relapse and longer relapse-free survival compared to radiologic disease activity, with trends but no significant benefit seen for endoscopic or histologic remission.
What it foundRadiologic remission (transmural healing, defined by simplified MaRIA score) independently reduced clinical relapse odds (OR 0.12, P < .001) and extended relapse-free survival (522 days vs 339 days, P = .005) compared to radiologic disease activity in ileal Crohn's disease.
ContextRefines current practice: while endoscopic and histologic remission are commonly used targets, this study suggests radiologic remission may be a superior prognostic marker in ileal Crohn's disease when assessed by simplified MaRIA score.
Emergingsuggested applicable standard· American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) / Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG), "American College of Gastroenterology-Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Anticoagulants and Antiplatelets During Acute Gastrointestinal Bleeding and the Periendoscopic Period", 2022 (Abraham NS, Barkun AN, Sauer BG, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2022;117(4):542-558)

Decision at stakewhether transmural healing should be the primary treatment target in Crohn's disease

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

The ACG/CAG 2022 guideline's periendoscopic antithrombotic recommendations are explicitly scoped to EXCLUDE patients at high thromboembolic risk, in whom the guideline states elective procedures should be deferred. Verbatim: 'These recommendations exclude patients at high risk of thromboembolic events in whom elective procedures should be deferred. Such high-risk patients include those within 3 months of acute venous thromboembolism (comprising lower-limb deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism), stroke, or transient ischemic attack; and patients within 3 months of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) event, within 6 months of a drug-eluting stent or 1 month of a bare-metal coronary stent placement without ACS history; or after ACS event within 12 months of a drug-eluting stent placement or 2 months of bare-metal stent placement.' Important qualifier: this appears in narrative/implementation text in the section 'Management of antithrombotic agents in the elective endoscopy setting' as an applicability boundary, it is NOT a numbered, GRADE-rated recommendation, and no certainty-of-evidence rating attaches to the windows. Separately, as a graded statement, Recommendation 14A: 'For patients on dual antiplatelet therapy for secondary cardiovascular prevention who are undergoing elective endoscopic GI procedures, we suggest temporary interruption of the P2Y12 inhibitor while continuing ASA (conditional recommendation, very low certainty of evidence).' Recommendation 18 explicitly reaches no conclusion: the panel 'could not reach a recommendation for or against resuming P2Y12 inhibitor on the same day of the procedure vs 1-7 days after the procedure.'

American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) / Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG), "American College of Gastroenterology-Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Anticoagulants and Antiplatelets During Acute Gastrointestinal Bleeding and the Periendoscopic Period", 2022 (Abraham NS, Barkun AN, Sauer BG, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2022;117(4):542-558) · reviewed 2026-07-19 ↗
Tamilarasan AG … Leong R · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD prospective cohort · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Artificial intelligence enhances screening efficiency for inflammatory bowel disease clinical trials: a prospective study.

New evidenceartificial intelligence
Clinical takeawayConsider exploring LLM-based AI tools (specific tool not named) to screen EMRs for IBD clinical trial eligibility to enhance recruitment efficiency.
What it foundAn LLM-based AI tool improved identification of potentially eligible IBD clinical trial patients, outperforming physician referrals (comparator) by screening EMRs and generating ranked candidate lists based on trial inclusion/exclusion criteria.
ContextChallenges current reliance on physician referrals alone for trial recruitment, offering a more systematic approach.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakeidentifying eligible patients for IBD clinical trials

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Gupta A … Klang E · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=47 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Effect of polydeoxyribonucleotide as a potential therapeutic agent to enhance the healing of Crohn's perianal fistula.

New therapyperianal diseasebiologicsCrohn's diseaseIBD surgery
Clinical takeawayConsider local PDRN injections during Crohn's perianal fistula surgery to improve closure rates and accelerate healing, noting the safety and cost-effectiveness as reported.
What it foundPDRN injections during surgery increased complete fistula closure rates to 70% vs 26.9% at 6 months and 83.3% vs 46.2% at 12 months compared to non-PDRN group, and shortened time to closure by 2.6 months.
ContextChallenges current practice by introducing a novel adjunct (PDRN) to standard surgical closure, with significantly higher efficacy in a retrospective study of 47 patients at a single tertiary center.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakethe use of polydeoxyribonucleotide in Crohn's perianal fistula surgery

… ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. … Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text. The rest of this standard includes DIAGNOSIS.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Kim HK … Yu CS · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=2,841 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Efficacy and safety of ulcerative colitis therapies do not differ by age: A post hoc analysis of randomized controlled trials.

New evidenceulcerative colitisbiologicsJAK inhibitors
Clinical takeawayConsider advanced therapies (biologics, JAK inhibitors) for UC patients ≥60 years as efficacy and safety are comparable to younger patients, but note hospitalization risk is numerically higher in older adults, with minor therapy-specific variations to weigh.
What it foundEfficacy (patient-reported outcomes 2 response/remission, clinical remission, endoscopic improvement) and safety of UC therapies were similar in patients ≥60 vs <60 years, with minor therapy-specific variation (n=2841 from 13 trials).
ContextChallenges the common practice of undertreating older UC patients due to safety concerns, based on pooled RCT data.
Measured against the standard of care· AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026)

Decision at stakepositioning advanced therapies for ulcerative colitis regardless of age

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. … Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text.

Our full summary of this standard

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. Confirm UC with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step C. difficile testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA chosen by route and extent: suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided disease, oral plus rectal for extensive disease. If 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab. Intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab. Lower: adalimumab. Previously TNF-exposed, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab. Lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod. After anti-TNF primary non-response, switch mechanism rather than cycling within the class. Treat to target (STRIDE-II): endoscopic improvement, Mayo endoscopic subscore 0-1. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after diagnosis for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening. Inpatient care now follows the 2026 AGA Clinical Practice Update (13 best-practice statements). Admit for severe symptoms refractory to outpatient therapy, suspected complications (obstruction, abscess, toxic megacolon) or significant malnutrition, and identify acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts. Give every patient admitted with diarrhea two-step C. difficile testing. Test for CMV, with early endoscopy, if symptoms worsen, the patient is systemically toxic or disease is steroid-refractory. Give routine VTE prophylaxis with LMWH or fondaparinux unless contraindicated, and individualize post-discharge extension. Give IV methylprednisolone 60 mg/day or equivalent; the AGA living guideline says 40-60 mg/day, and higher doses add no benefit. Do not give adjunctive antibiotics without infection. Involve surgery early. Assess response by day 3 (72 h) using stool frequency and CRP (Oxford criteria); do not continue IV steroids beyond about 7 days without response. Rescue steroid non-responders with infliximab (accelerated or intensified dosing in selected patients with high inflammatory burden or protein-losing colopathy), cyclosporine, or a JAK inhibitor at standard or intensified dosing, or with colectomy. Before discharge, the response should be stable and a transition plan should be in place.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Wong ECL … Narula N · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=211 · Jul 29, 2026 · Dig Dis Sci · IF 2.5

Predictors of Steroid Failure and Outcomes of Rescue Therapy in Severe ICI-Induced Colitis: A Multicenter Study from GETECCU.

New evidencebiologicsanti-TNFvedolizumabustekinumab
Clinical takeawayIn severe ICI-colitis (grade 3-4), assess for prior oral steroid use, symptom severity (modified Mayo score), and endoscopic activity (UCEIS) to identify high-risk patients. Note: AGA cautions symptoms may not correlate with severity. If steroids fail after 2-3 days (per AGA) and predictors are present, escalate to biologics (infliximab or vedolizumab preferred per SOC).
What it found50.2% of severe ICI-induced colitis patients (grade 3-4, hospitalized) responded to steroids; prior oral steroid use (OR 4.4), higher UCEIS score (OR 1.31, but abstract does not report cutoffs), and higher modified Mayo score (OR 1.45, components not stated) predicted steroid failure. Rescue biologics (infliximab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab) had 65-72% effectiveness in steroid-refractory cases.
ContextConfirms limited steroid efficacy in severe ICI-colitis and identifies predictors of failure, but UCEIS/modified Mayo specifics are not provided in abstract. Reinforces AGA guidance on early escalation but does not challenge SOC timing.
Refinessuggested applicable standard· American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), "AGA Clinical Practice Update on Diagnosis and Management of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Colitis and Hepatitis: Expert Review" (Dougan M, Wang Y, Rubio-Tapia A, Lim JK), Gastroenterology 2021;160(4):1384-1393

Decision at stakethe use of high-dose systemic glucocorticoids for grade 3-4 ICI colitis

… In grade 2 or higher colitis/diarrhea, early stool inflammatory markers (lactoferrin, calprotectin) may help stratify patients for endoscopy, and endoscopic confirmation of the diagnosis and severity should be considered before starting high-dose systemic glucocorticoids; abdominal imaging is reserved for dominant pain, fever, or bleeding and should not be done routinely for diarrhea alone. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text.

Our full summary of this standard

For suspected ICI colitis, exclude infectious causes of diarrhea (including C. difficile) before treating. In grade 2 or higher colitis/diarrhea, early stool inflammatory markers (lactoferrin, calprotectin) may help stratify patients for endoscopy, and endoscopic confirmation of the diagnosis and severity should be considered before starting high-dose systemic glucocorticoids; abdominal imaging is reserved for dominant pain, fever, or bleeding and should not be done routinely for diarrhea alone. The AGA cautions that no validated severity index for ICI colitis exists and that symptoms correlate poorly with endoscopic, radiologic, and treatment-response severity, and that rapid progression over days can occur, particularly with ipilimumab. ICI colitis typically responds to high-dose systemic glucocorticoids at 0.5-2 mg/kg prednisone-equivalent daily tapered over 4-6 weeks (the AGA explicitly notes these doses and schedules have not been rigorously examined). If there is no improvement after 2-3 days, add infliximab or vedolizumab while continuing glucocorticoids; both are reasonable options for glucocorticoid-refractory colitis. Budesonide is ineffective as prophylaxis and is not a standard treatment for ICI colitis, it is reserved for ICI-associated microscopic colitis. Retreatment with immunotherapy is possible under select conditions. For hepatitis, obtain baseline liver chemistries (total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT) and HBV serologies before ICI; grade by CTCAE and manage as follows: grade 1 (AST/ALT 1-3x ULN or bilirubin 1-1.5x ULN), monitor liver chemistries 1-2 times weekly; grade 2 (AST/ALT >3-5x ULN or bilirubin >1.5-3x ULN), hold ICI until resolution to grade 1, and if symptomatic give prednisone 0.5-1.0 mg/kg/d or equivalent; grade 3 (AST/ALT >5-20x ULN or bilirubin >3-10x ULN), discontinue ICI and start methylprednisolone 1-2 mg/kg/d or equivalent; grade 4 (AST/ALT >20x ULN or bilirubin >10x ULN or hepatic decompensation), permanently discontinue ICI and start methylprednisolone 2 mg/kg/d. For ICI hepatitis that does not adequately improve after 3-5 days of high-dose glucocorticoids, escalate to a second-line immunosuppressant, mycophenolate mofetil (with azathioprine as an accepted alternative), while continuing glucocorticoids; infliximab is not recommended for ICI hepatitis because of its potential for hepatotoxicity. Evaluate all ICI-related liver-chemistry elevations for alternate etiologies (consider liver biopsy), and obtain biliary imaging when alkaline phosphatase and/or bilirubin are elevated.

American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), "AGA Clinical Practice Update on Diagnosis and Management of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Colitis and Hepatitis: Expert Review" (Dougan M, Wang Y, Rubio-Tapia A, Lim JK), Gastroenterology 2021;160(4):1384-1393 · reviewed 2026-07-23 ↗
Polo Cuadro C … GETECCU · Digestive Diseases and Sciences · IF 2.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD review · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Bowel urgency in inflammatory bowel disease: A concept analysis.

New evidence
Clinical takeawayNo clinical action yet: a conceptual framework for future research and tool development. Consider discussing urgency's multidimensional impact with IBD patients, but no validated assessment or treatment changes are supported.
What it foundIdentified 7 defining attributes of bowel urgency in IBD: sudden onset, perceived uncontrollability, compressed time to toilet, fear of incontinence, anticipatory anxiety, behavioral avoidance, and persistence despite quiescence.
ContextChallenges current reliance on unidimensional scales (e.g., Urgency NRS) by showing urgency persists beyond inflammation and requires psychosocial assessment.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakeassessment and management of bowel urgency in Crohn's disease

… DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text. The rest of this standard includes MILD-TO-MODERATE.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Napolitano D … Scaldaferri F · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD retrospective · n=45,250 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Inflammatory bowel disease and risk of perineal injury in primiparous vaginal births: a retrospective cohort study.

New evidenceperianal diseaseepidemiology
Clinical takeawayCounsel women with IBD without active perianal disease that vaginal delivery is appropriate and does not increase perineal injury risk compared to women without IBD.
What it foundIBD without active perianal disease did not increase perineal injury risk in primiparous vaginal births (84.0% vs. 85.4%, P=0.553; OASI 0.4% vs. 0.9%, P=0.728; aOR 0.82, 95% CI 0.56-1.19, P=0.288).
ContextConfirms prior evidence that IBD without active perianal disease does not increase perineal injury risk, supporting standard vaginal-delivery counseling in this population.
Measured against the standard of care· AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026)

Decision at stakewhether IBD without active perianal disease increases the risk of perineal injury during vaginal birth

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Outpatient positioning is unchanged from the ACG 2025 UC guideline and the AGA living guideline for moderate-to-severe UC. Confirm UC with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step C. difficile testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA chosen by route and extent: suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided disease, oral plus rectal for extensive disease. If 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by efficacy tier, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab. Intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab. Lower: adalimumab. Previously TNF-exposed, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab. Lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod. After anti-TNF primary non-response, switch mechanism rather than cycling within the class. Treat to target (STRIDE-II): endoscopic improvement, Mayo endoscopic subscore 0-1. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after diagnosis for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening. Inpatient care now follows the 2026 AGA Clinical Practice Update (13 best-practice statements). Admit for severe symptoms refractory to outpatient therapy, suspected complications (obstruction, abscess, toxic megacolon) or significant malnutrition, and identify acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts. Give every patient admitted with diarrhea two-step C. difficile testing. Test for CMV, with early endoscopy, if symptoms worsen, the patient is systemically toxic or disease is steroid-refractory. Give routine VTE prophylaxis with LMWH or fondaparinux unless contraindicated, and individualize post-discharge extension. Give IV methylprednisolone 60 mg/day or equivalent; the AGA living guideline says 40-60 mg/day, and higher doses add no benefit. Do not give adjunctive antibiotics without infection. Involve surgery early. Assess response by day 3 (72 h) using stool frequency and CRP (Oxford criteria); do not continue IV steroids beyond about 7 days without response. Rescue steroid non-responders with infliximab (accelerated or intensified dosing in selected patients with high inflammatory burden or protein-losing colopathy), cyclosporine, or a JAK inhibitor at standard or intensified dosing, or with colectomy. Before discharge, the response should be stable and a transition plan should be in place.

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Inpatient Management of Adults With IBD (Gastroenterology 2026) / ACG UC Guideline Update 2025 / AGA Living Guideline, Moderate-to-Severe UC 2024 (panel review March 2026) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Gilboa I … Baruch Y · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD review · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Frailty in inflammatory bowel disease: a missing link in personalized care for the aging IBD population.

New evidence
Clinical takeawayConsider systematic screening for frailty in older IBD patients using available tools, though none are IBD-specific. No clinical action yet: no validated IBD-specific frailty tools or interventions exist.
What it foundFrailty in IBD patients predicts complications and mortality independently of disease activity, with prevalence ranging from 6% to 62%.
ContextConfirms frailty as an independent predictor of poor outcomes in IBD, highlighting a gap in current practice where frailty is often overlooked despite its prognostic significance.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakeassessing frailty in older patients with Crohn's disease

… DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. …

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text. The rest of this standard includes MILD-TO-MODERATE.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Le Cosquer G … Buisson A · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD prospective cohort · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Metagenomic insights into potential horizontal transfer of resistance/virulence genes in gut microbiota from patients with Crohn disease.

Basic sciencemicrobiomebasic scienceCrohn's disease
Clinical takeawayNo clinical action yet: a mechanistic finding on gene transfer potential in Crohn disease microbiota.
What it foundCrohn disease gut microbiota had higher relative abundance of resistance/virulence genes (131 specific subtypes, P < .05) and intensified interconnectivity with mobile genetic elements (71% of network nodes vs 60.80% in healthy controls).
ContextConfirms prior concerns about antibiotic resistance gene reservoirs in Crohn disease but does not yet translate to clinical management.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakethe potential role of gut microbiota in Crohn disease pathogenesis and management

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Tao M … Zhang X · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD prospective cohort · n=20 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Clonal overlap and convergent clustering of T cell receptor signatures in Crohn's disease in monozygotic twins.

Basic scienceCrohn's diseasebasic sciencebiomarkertranslational
Clinical takeawayNo clinical action yet: a mechanistic finding in humans identifying T cell receptor signatures that require further study to determine their role and potential as therapeutic targets.
What it foundIn monozygotic twins concordant for Crohn's disease, there was an increased overlap in T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires for regulatory and CD4+ memory gut-homing T cells compared to discordant twins and healthy controls.
ContextThis study supports the model of an antigen-driven immune response in Crohn's disease by identifying specific, shared T cell receptor signatures in genetically identical individuals with the disease, providing novel targets for mechanistic research.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakeunderstanding the pathophysiology of Crohn's disease

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Brand EC … Dutch TWIN-IBD consortium and the Dutch Initiative on Crohn and Colitis · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
IBD prospective cohort · n=71 · Aug 1, 2026 · Inflamm Bowel Dis · IF 4.5

Multi-omics-based machine learning model predicts response and guides treatment in Crohn disease: a case study in nutritional therapy.

New evidencepediatricartificial intelligencebiomarkermicrobiome
Clinical takeawayNo clinical action yet: a proof-of-concept ML model requiring validation in larger cohorts before clinical use.
What it foundA multi-omics ML model predicted response to EEN in pediatric CD with 94% training accuracy (95% CI, 82%-100%) and AUROC 0.81 (95% CI, 0.6-1.0) in validation.
ContextChallenges current practice of empirical EEN use in pediatric CD by proposing a predictive model, but lacks immediate clinical applicability due to small sample size and need for further validation.
Measured against the standard of care· ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH)

Decision at stakepredicting response to exclusive enteral nutrition in pediatric Crohn disease

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Two current US guidelines govern Crohn's disease and should be read together. ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al.) remains the reference for diagnosis, mild-to-moderate disease, perianal, postoperative and abscess management. DIAGNOSIS: fecal calprotectin (>50-100 μg/g) separates inflammatory from noninflammatory disease of the colon. Workup is ileocolonoscopy with biopsies, including uninvolved mucosa, plus small-bowel imaging. CTE and MRE are comparable; prefer MRE in patients <35 y and when serial exams are likely. Intestinal ultrasound is an ungraded adjunct. Do routine CRC surveillance in Crohn's colitis. MILD-TO-MODERATE: recommend against oral mesalamine; sulfasalazine only for symptomatic mild colonic CD; ileal-release budesonide 9 mg for induction in ileocecal disease but not for maintenance. MODERATE-TO-SEVERE (AGA Living Guideline, Scott et al., Gastroenterology 2025;169(7):1397-1448, 16 recommendations: 1 strong, 9 conditional, 6 knowledge gaps; updated quarterly, adult outpatients only): RECOMMEND infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab or upadacitinib over no treatment; SUGGEST certolizumab pegol or vedolizumab over no treatment. Advanced-therapy-naive: suggest higher-efficacy agents (infliximab, adalimumab, vedolizumab, ustekinumab, risankizumab, mirikizumab, guselkumab) over lower-efficacy ones (certolizumab pegol, upadacitinib). Prior advanced-therapy (especially anti-TNF) exposure: suggest higher- or intermediate-efficacy agents (adalimumab, risankizumab, guselkumab, upadacitinib; ustekinumab, mirikizumab) over lower-efficacy ones (vedolizumab, certolizumab pegol). Suggest against thiopurine monotherapy for induction; suggest it for maintenance of remission. Suggest SC/IM methotrexate monotherapy; suggest against oral methotrexate. In thiopurine-naive patients starting infliximab, suggest infliximab + thiopurine over infliximab alone. No recommendation on IFX + MTX, adalimumab + immunomodulator, or non-TNF biologic + immunomodulator. After ≥6 months of steroid-free remission on anti-TNF + immunomodulator, suggest withdrawing the immunomodulator and suggest against withdrawing the anti-TNF. SUGGEST upfront advanced therapy over step-up therapy (corticosteroids and/or immunomodulator first). No recommendation on treating to endoscopic vs symptomatic remission. The ACG 2025 moderate-to-severe recommendations (anti-TNF, IFX + thiopurine combination and IL-12/23/IL-23 agents, each strong/moderate; upadacitinib after anti-TNF exposure; steroids for short-term induction only; TPMT/NUDT15 testing before thiopurines) still stand alongside AGA. ACG perianal (infliximab first; drain abscesses and place setons before escalating), postoperative (endoscopy at 6-12 months; anti-TNF strong, vedolizumab conditional in high-risk patients) and intra-abdominal abscess (>2 cm: antibiotics plus drainage, hold immunosuppression) positions are unchanged. THERAPEUTIC ENDOSCOPY (AGA Clinical Practice Update, CGH 2026; details below come from AGA news coverage, not the full text, and are ungraded advice): get cross-sectional imaging before the procedure. Endoscopic balloon dilation is first-line for short strictures (about ≤4-5 cm) with few risk factors (fistula, prestenotic dilation >5 cm, high CRP, prior anti-TNF). Longer or multiple strictures, or ≥3 risk factors, favor surgery.

ACG 2025 (Lichtenstein et al., Am J Gastroenterol) / AGA Living Guideline 2025 (Scott et al., Gastroenterology) / AGA Clinical Practice Update on Therapeutic Endoscopy in IBD 2026 (CGH) · reviewed 2026-10-11 ↗
Azulay A … Turner D · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · IF 4.5 · PubMed ↗Permalink
← Back to issue №5 Every section of this issue is one click away, at the top of this page. Follow IBD by RSS