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Health News Archive 747 - Colitis
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Phosphatidylcholine Helps Ulcerative Colitis
Patients Withdraw from Steroids
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the
Annals of Internal Medicine in November 2007 has found that
ulcerative colitis patients may be able to withdraw from steroids more
easily when they are consuming phosphatidylcholine.
Long-term steroid treatment is discouraged in ulcerative colitis. However,
there are no other effective alternatives when therapy with
immunosuppressant drugs fails. When ulcerative colitis patients remain on
steroids for long periods of time, they often become resistant to the
effects of the steroids.
Low levels of phosphatidylcholine in colonic mucus are thought to be a
possible factor involved in the development of ulcerative colitis.
Therefore, researchers theorized that supplementation with
phosphatidylcholine may help ulcerative colitis patients who have become
resistant to the effects of the steroids.
Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
from March 2003 to January 2006 in 60 patients with chronic
steroid-resistant ulcerative colitis and a high disease activity index
score. The subjects consumed either phosphatidylcholine or a placebo 4
times per day for 12 weeks for a total dosage of 2 grams per day.
Half of the phosphatidylcholine recipients (15 of 30) achieved complete
withdrawal from steroids and a reduction in their disease activity score
of up to 50 percent while only 10 percent of placebo recipients (3 of 30)
achieved the same improvements. Twenty-four phosphatidylcholine recipients
(80 percent) and 3 (10 percent) placebo recipients discontinued steroid
therapy without experiencing any worsening of disease. Mild bloating was
the only common adverse event experienced in the subjects.
The study authors concluded, “Phosphatidylcholine reduced corticosteroid
dependence more than placebo in patients with chronic steroid-refractory
ulcerative colitis. The next step is long-term trials to evaluate the
sustainability of steroid withdrawal in these patients.”
Reference:
Stremmel W, Ehehalt R, Autschbach F, Karner M. Phosphatidylcholine for
steroid-refractory chronic ulcerative colitis: a randomized trial. Ann
Intern Med. 2007 Nov 6;147(9):603-10.
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