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A person's torso and hands visible, face not shown, standing near a large window in soft morning light, wearing a loose white linen shirt, violet ambient light filtering through thin curtains onto pale walls, a small green succulent plant on the windowsill, intimate and calm, no medical devices, no text, photographic depopulated warmth

Sourced explainer· Reviewed 5 July 2026

Body Image After Ostomy Surgery for Cancer: What a 2026 Systematic Review Found

Body image concerns are one of the most consistent findings in research on life after ostomy surgery for cancer. A systematic review published in July 2026 maps the patterns: what most people report, what makes adjustment harder, and what the evidence says actually helps.

A calm community clinic room at dawn, a clean white counter holding a single sealed single-dose vial and an unopened syringe in sterile packaging, soft violet ambient light falling through a frosted window, a small potted plant on the sill, no people visible, no text, no labels, photographic, depopulated healthcare setting

Sourced explainer· Reviewed 29 June 2026

Vaccines and IBD: What the Guidelines Say About Timing Around Biologics and Immunosuppression

For people with inflammatory bowel disease on immunosuppressive treatment, vaccination is a planned, timing-sensitive part of care. International guidelines agree on a few clear principles: sort out vaccines early, give live vaccines before treatment where possible, and rely on inactivated vaccines once treatment has started.

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Sourced explainer· Reviewed 26 June 2026

Can IBD Affect Memory and Thinking? A 2026 Systematic Review of 66 Studies Investigates

A systematic review published in the Journal of Crohn's & Colitis in May 2026 searched PubMed and Scopus through August 2024, analysing 66 studies from population research, genetic investigations, and preclinical models, and found that patients with IBD may exhibit impaired cognitive function, particularly in memory, attention, and executive processing, with disease activity, chronic inflammation, and psychological stress among the contributing factors identified.

A quiet hospital outpatient corridor at dusk, empty cushioned chairs lined against a pale wall, a large window at the far end casting soft violet ambient light across the floor tiles, potted plant in the corner, no people, no text, photographic, clinical yet warm

Sourced explainer· Reviewed 23 June 2026

Stigma After Stoma Surgery: What a 2026 Evidence Review Found About Screening and Support

A 2026 literature review in Frontiers in Oncology identified approaches to detecting felt stigma in colorectal cancer patients with stomas and summarised evidence on which interventions provide meaningful support.

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Sourced explainer· Reviewed 22 June 2026

The Gut-Brain Axis in IBD: What a 2026 Systematic Review of 1,040 Patients Found About Microbiota and Mood

A systematic review published in Frontiers in Microbiology in June 2026 analysed ten studies involving 1,040 IBD patients and found that anxiety and depressive symptoms were associated with reduced gut microbial diversity and enrichment of pro-inflammatory bacterial taxa, with authors concluding the relationship may be bidirectional.

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Sourced explainer· Reviewed 21 June 2026

Beyond the Bowel: What a 2025 Cochrane Review Found About Psychological Interventions in IBD

A 2025 Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis by Tiles-Sar and colleagues examined the randomised trial evidence for psychological interventions in inflammatory bowel disease, assessing whether approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and stress management affect disease activity, quality of life, and psychological wellbeing.

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Sourced explainer· Reviewed 18 June 2026

Learning to Live With IBD: What a Cochrane Review Found About Patient Education Programs

A 2023 Cochrane systematic review examined the trial evidence for structured patient education interventions in inflammatory bowel disease, assessing whether programmes delivered by nurses, clinicians, or digital tools affect disease activity, quality of life, and patients' ability to manage their own condition.

A quiet, empty consultation desk with a glass of water and a small sealed medication box, soft violet ambient light from a side window, no people, no text, calm clinical setting

Sourced explainer· Reviewed 17 June 2026

Telehealth for IBD: What a Cochrane Review Found About Remote Care

A Cochrane systematic review evaluated whether digital and remote care tools, including apps, telephone follow-up, and web-based monitoring platforms, change outcomes for people living with inflammatory bowel disease. Here is what the evidence found, and why certainty still matters.

A quiet, empty ultrasound examination room: a pale clinic floor, a parked ultrasound cart at left with its curved-array probe resting in its cradle, a small wall-mounted monitor showing a soft abstract grey-scale gradient with no readable text, a neatly drawn light curtain on a rail, soft violet ambient light from a high window, no people, no signage

Sourced explainer· Reviewed 16 June 2026

After Crohn's Surgery: The Growing Case for Intestinal Ultrasound as a Monitoring Tool

A 2026 international consensus study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology used the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method to evaluate exactly when intestinal ultrasound is appropriate for detecting postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence, drawing on 21 international experts to produce the first structured guidance on this non-invasive monitoring approach.

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Sourced explainer· Reviewed 14 June 2026

Azathioprine and 6-MP for Ulcerative Colitis: A 2025 Cochrane Review on Long-Term Remission

A 2025 Cochrane systematic review synthesises randomised trial evidence on azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine for maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis. These widely used medications have decades of clinical history, but patients often have questions about what the evidence actually shows and what routine monitoring involves.

Empty hospital corridor with a medication cabinet along the wall, soft violet ambient light from frosted windows, polished floor, no people, no text visible

Sourced explainer· Reviewed 13 June 2026

When One IBD Treatment Is Not Enough: A 2026 Review on Combining Biologics

A systematic review and meta-analysis pooling 52 studies and 2,022 participants found early safety signals for combining two advanced IBD drugs, but the certainty of evidence is rated very low across all analyses.

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Sourced explainer· Reviewed 7 June 2026

Vitamin D and IBD: What a Cochrane Review of 22 Trials Found — and What Remains Uncertain

A 2023 Cochrane systematic review examined 22 randomised controlled trials with 1,874 participants living with IBD. The review found a possible reduction in clinical relapse with vitamin D supplementation — but rates certainty of evidence as low, and cannot yet draw conclusions on quality of life or disease response.

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