Treating short bowel syndrome with pharmacotherapy.

Treating short bowel syndrome with pharmacotherapy. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2020 Feb 14;:1-12 Authors: Hollanda Martins Da Rocha M, Lee ADW, Marin MLM, Faintuch S, Mishaly A, Faintuch J Abstract Introduction: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) has traditionally been regarded as a rapidly fatal medical catastrophe. The advent of pharmacological options directly targeting disease pathophysiology justified this review.Areas covered: Since the 1970s, home parenteral nutrition has reduced mortality, converting SBS into a chronic and disabling compensated and occasionally curable illness. Off-label antidiarrheal drugs and related products, though having minimal scientific evidence of efficacy, represent the standard-of-care and are here reviewed. Trophic intestinal hormones, including GLP-2 and its analogs, have great promise for alleviating malabsorption, the most important symptom within a nonsurgical, routine outpatient framework. Current indications involve adults with massive intestinal losses (fecal wet weight >1500 g/day). Surgical options such as intestinal lengthening or transplantation are also addressed although these options are considerably more aggressive and have stricter indications.Expert opinion: GLP-2 analogs are the first candidates from a pioneering pharmacotherapic family within the SBS framework, namely disease-modifying, absorption-restoring agents. This family of drugs, potentially applicable in all contexts of severe...
Source: Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Expert Opin Pharmacother Source Type: research