The association between colonic diverticulosis, diverticulitis, and mortality is controversial. This study evaluated the association between diverticular disease and mortality over a prolonged period in a GP cohort.

GP records were sourced from the United Kingdom medical database (THIN). Diverticulosis and diverticulitis were identified via Read codes. The overall patient cohort (n = 1 274 260) included patients with colonic diverticula (n = 39 521 [3.1%], mean age 54) and no diverticula (control group) (n = 1 234 739 [96.9%], mean age 38). Poisson regression estimated relative rates, and durational time at risk and survival probability were calculated.

Colonic diverticula are associated with an increased mortality risk when compared with nondiverticular patients (OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.84-1.94; p < 0.001). However, controlling for age, sex, and potential confounding variables yielded a decreased mortality risk overall for colonic diverticula patients (HR = 0.66, 95% 0.64-0.6; p < 0.001). When the diverticulitis cohort is separated into uncomplicated and complicated, increased mortality is observed in both uncomplicated diverticulitis (HR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.61-0.66; p < 0.001) and complicated diverticulitis (HR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.28; p = 0.024), but on controlling for confounding, there is a decreased risk of mortality for uncomplicated diverticulitis (HR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.63-0.66; p < 0.001) but almost two times increased mortality risk for complicated diverticulitis (HR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.05-1.32; p = 0.006).

In this large UK GP sample, controlling for age, sex, and comorbidities, patients with uncomplicated diverticula are associated with a lower mortality risk. However, complicated diverticulitis still carries two times the risk of mortality than those with no or uncomplicated colonic diverticula.

The role of gut microbiota (GM) in the pathogenesis of Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular Disease (SUDD) remains controversial. Here, we assessed the efficacy of a butyrate formulation in modulating GM and abdominal pain in patients with SUDD. A retrospective study was conducted in patients with SUDD who were treated with a delayed- and colonic-release formulation of butyrate (two capsules bid, for a total dose of 400 mg butyrate) for 3 months. GM was profiled before (T0) and after 90 days of treatment (T2) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The primary endpoint was change in GM at T2; secondary endpoints were reduction in abdominal pain severity according to VAS (Visual Analog Scale, 0: absence; 10: maximum severity) at T1 (45 days) and T2, stool characteristics according to the Bristol stool form scale at T0, T1 and T2, and safety of treatment. Fifty-nine patients with SUDD (59.3% male; median age 65.5 years, interquartile range 55-71 years) completed treatment. The butyrate formulation increased GM diversity and resulted in several compositional changes that were closely related to baseline abdominal pain severity. Regarding secondary endpoints, abdominal pain decreased significantly over time, while the Bristol stool form scale did not. Mild adverse events were recorded in 3 (5.08%) patients. This study showed that a microencapsulated and colonic-release formulation of butyrate favorably modulates GM and reduces abdominal pain in patients with SUDD.

Patients with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) may have a disrupted gut microbiota. However, current data are from small sample studies, and reported associations vary widely across studies. We aimed to profile the fecal microbiota in SUDD patients enrolled in primary care.

A retrospective study was conducted in SUDD ( N  = 72) and asymptomatic diverticulosis (AD) ( N  = 30), the latter serving as a control group.

No significant differences in alpha and beta diversity were found between SUDD and AD, but SUDD was discriminated by a higher relative abundance of the family Streptococcaceae and the genera Alistipes , Agathobacter , and Butyricimonas . Interestingly, the gut microbiota of SUDD patients stratified by the severity of abdominal pain [according to the visual analog scale (VAS)]. In particular, higher diversity and health-associated taxa (such as Bifidobacterium , Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, and Dorea ) characterized mild (VAS score 1-3) SUDD, Proteobacteria , Veillonellaceae and Blautia moderate (VAS score 4-7) SUDD, and Prevotellaceae and Megasphaera severe (VAS score 8-10) SUDD.

Our analysis suggests that specific taxa may be related to SUDD, but the associations vary depending on the severity of abdominal pain. In addition to advancing our ecological understanding of this complex disease, our findings may pave the way for the incorporation of gut microbiota profiling into clinical practice to aid patient management, including stratification and treatment.

Recognition of acute diverticulitis is important to determine an adequate management strategy. Differentiating it from other gastrointestinal disorders is challenging as symptoms overlap. Clinical tests might assist the clinician with this diagnostic challenge. Previous reviews have focussed on prognostic questions and imaging examinations in secondary care.

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical tests feasible in primary care for acute diverticulitis in suspected patients.

We have systematically searched multiple databases for diagnostic accuracy studies of tests feasible in primary care compared to a reference standard in suspected patients. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed study quality with the QUADAS-2 tool. We have meta-analysed the results in the case of more than four studies per index test.

Seventeen studies were included, all studies were performed in secondary care (median prevalence 48%). Individual signs and symptoms showed a wide range in sensitivity (range 0.00-0.98) and specificity (range 0.08-1.00). Of the four laboratory tests evaluated, CRP >10 mg/l had the highest sensitivity (range 0.89-0.96) with specificity ranging from 0.28 to 0.61. Ultrasound had the highest pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.92 (95% CI 0.86-0.96) and 0.94 (95% CI 0.88-0.97), respectively.

None of the studies were performed in primary care. Individual signs and symptoms alone are insufficiently informative for acute diverticulitis diagnosis. CRP showed potential for ruling out and ultrasound had a high diagnostic accuracy. More research is needed about the diagnostic accuracy of these tests in primary care.

CRD42021230622.

Symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular colon disease (SUDCD) is a highly prevalent disease in our setting, which significantly affects the quality of life of patients. Recent changes in understanding the natural history of this disease and technological and pharmacological advances have increased the available options for both diagnosis and treatment. However, consensus regarding the use of these options is scarce and sometimes lacks scientific evidence. The objective of this systematic review is to clarify the existing scientific evidence and analyse the use of the different diagnostic and therapeutic options for SUDCD, comparing their advantages and disadvantages, to finally suggest a diagnostic-therapeutic algorithm for this pathology and, at the same time, propose new research questions.

The literature regarding diverticular disease of the intestines (DDI) almost entirely concerns hospital-based care; DDI managed in primary care settings is rarely addressed.

To estimate how often DDI is managed in primary care, using antibiotics dispensing data.

Hospitalisation records of New Zealand residents aged 30+ years during 2007-2016 were individually linked to databases of community-dispensed oral antibiotics.

Patients with an index hospital admission 2007-2016 including a DDI diagnosis (ICD-10-AM = K57) were grouped by acute/non-acute hospitalisation. We compared use of guideline-recommended oral antibiotics for the period 2007-2016 for these people with ten individually-matched non-DDI residents, taking the case's index date. Multivariable negative binomial models were used to estimate rates of antibiotic use.

From almost 3.5 million eligible residents, data were extracted for 51,059 index cases (20,880 acute, 30,179 non-acute) and 510,581 matched controls; mean follow-up = 8.9 years. Dispensing rates rose gradually over time among controls, from 47 per 100 person-years (/100py) prior to the index date, to 60/100py after 3 months. In comparison, dispensing was significantly higher for those with DDI: for those with acute DDI, rates were 84/100py prior to the index date, 325/100py near the index date, and 141/100py after 3 months, while for those with non-acute DDI 75/100py, 108/100py and 99/100py respectively. Following an acute DDI admission, community-dispensed antibiotics were dispensed at more than twice the rate of their non-DDI counterparts for years, and were elevated even before the index DDI hospitalisation.

DDI patients experience high use of antibiotics. Evidence is needed that covers primary-care and informs self-management of recurrent, chronic or persistent DDI.

In a previous report of two married cohabiting couples affected by polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), we noticed that the wife of one couple and both members of the other couple suffered from symptomatic diverticular disease (DD), whose diagnosis was made before the onset of PMR. We investigated whether DD might be a risk factor for the development of PMR. We conducted a case-control study informed on a database containing the prospectively collected medical records of consecutive PMR patients. Among comorbidities, attention was focused on symptomatic DD, provided that the diagnosis had been made by colonoscopy and/or computed tomography scan. As controls, we identified one control per case at random among those matched by age and sex attending the ophthalmic and orthopedic outpatient clinics, as long as a PMR diagnosis had been excluded. A logistic regression model was used, following a multiplicative model, and results were presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The most frequent comorbidities in the two groups of patients (121 cases and 121 controls) were chronic coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, DD, hypercholesterolemia, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and cholelithiasis. The association between PMR and DD (OR = 4.06; 95% CI: 1.76-9.35) was by far stronger than that found comparing PMR with the other comorbidities. The chronic bowel inflammation induced by dysbiosis in patients with symptomatic DD could be a critical immunopathological mechanism supporting the development or exacerbation of PMR in susceptible individuals.