Background: To evaluate the impact of concomitant use of probiotic BB-12 in metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes on glycemic control, metformin-related gastrointestinal side effects, and treatment compliance. Methods: A total of 156 patients (mean [standard deviation] age: 50.9 [9.9 years], 74.4% females) with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes or prediabetes were randomly assigned to receive either metformin alone (n = 84, MET group) or metformin plus Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12) probiotic (n = 72, MET-PRO group). Data on body mass index (kg/m2), fasting blood glucose (mg/dL), blood lipids, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were recorded at baseline and at the third month of therapy. Data on gastrointestinal intolerance symptoms and treatment noncompliance were also recorded during post-treatment week 1 to week 4. Results: MET-PRO versus MET therapy was associated with a significantly higher rate of treatment compliance (91.7% vs 71.4%, P = .001), greater reduction from baseline HbA1c values (0.9 [0.4-1.6] vs 0.4 [0-1.6] %, P < .001) and lower likelihood of gastrointestinal intolerance symptoms, including abdominal pain (P = .031 to <.001), diarrhea (P = .005 to <.001) and bloating (P = .010 to <.001). Noncompliance developed later (at least 15 days after the therapy) in a significantly higher percentage of patients in the MET group (P = .001 for 15–21 days and P = .002 for 22–28 days). Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study proposes the benefit of combining probiotics with metformin in the treatment of patients with T2D or prediabetes in terms of improved glycemic control and treatment adherence rather than correction of dyslipidemia or weight reduction. Cite this article as: Şahin K, Şahintürk Y, Köker G, et al. Metformin with versus without concomitant probiotic therapy in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes: A comparative analysis in relation to glycemic control, gastrointestinal side effects, and treatment compliance. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2022;33(11):925-933.

Background/Aims: Several studies have shown that a change in microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Furthermore, with the emergence in recent studies of differences according to the subtype of IBD and whether the disease is active or in remission, there has started to be research into the relationship between IBD and several microorganisms. Blastocystis hominis is primary among these organisms. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of B. hominis in the acute flare-up of ulcerative colitis (UC). Materials and Methods: A total of 114 patients with UC were included in the study, with 52 in the active phase. The Mayo scoring system was used for the activity index. Patients determined with a flare-up agent other than B. hominis were excluded from the study. Fecal samples of the patients were examined by the polymerase chain reaction method for the presence of B. hominis. Results: B. hominis positivity was determined in 37 (34%) patients with UC. Of the patients, 17 (32.6%) were in the acute flare-up phase, and 20 (32.2%) were in remission (p=0.961). In 11 (64.7%) of the B. hominis positive patients, the disease severity was determined as mild-moderate (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that while there was no difference between the active and remission phases in respect of B. hominis presence, there was milder involvement in those determined with B. hominis. Cite this article as: Cite this article as: Kök M, Çekin Y, Çekin AH, Uyar S, Harmandar F, Şahintürk Y. The role of Blastocystis hominis in the activation of ulcerative colitis. Turk J Gastroenterol 2019; 30: 40-6.

Objectives: Obesity is a significant public health concern, as it is associated with the development of numerous chronic diseases. The prevalence of obesity and attendant diseases has been increasing over recent years. This study attempted to ascertain the frequency of chronic diseases in obese patients in Türkiye for the first time on this scale. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted, with patients admitted to the internal medicine outpatient clinics or obesity centers between December 2023 and December 2024 included in this study. Participants were recruited from seven regions, 20 provinces, and 28 centers, and the inclusion criteria were met by those aged 18 years and over with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg per square meter (kg/m²) or above. Their status, with respect to chronic diseases, and their anthropometric parameters were documented. Results: The total number of patients was 10,121, with a mean age of 45.2 ± 13.92. Of these, 7222 (71.35%) were female. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension (HT), dyslipidemia (DL), coronary artery disease (CAD), obstructive pulmonary disease (OPD), obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), and fatty liver disease (FLD) was found to be 35.01%, 78.19%, 12.37%, 10.32%, 5.88%, and 75.12%, respectively. A subsequent analysis of the prevalence of these diseases by region revealed a statistically significant variation between regions (p < 0.001 for all regions). Conclusions: This study represents a substantial contribution to the existing body of knowledge in this field, particularly with regard to the identification of the current chronic disease rate of obese patients in Türkiye.

Hayvan destekli tedavi, kronik hastalığı olan ya da ruhsal bozukluklardan olumsuz etkilenen bireylerde yaşam kalitesini yükseltmek ve iyileştirmek amacıyla temel tedavinin yanı sıra kullanılan ve insan hayvan etkileşimine dayanan alternatif bir tedavi yöntemidir. Hayvan destekli tedavinin, yaygın gelişimsel bozukluk, kanser, Alzheimer, bunama, yalnızlık duygusu, anksiyete, depresyon gibi bir çok hastalık ve bozuklukta destek tedavi olarak kullanıldığı bilinmektedir. Yurt dışında yapılan araştırmalarda uzman ve güçlü bir ekibin yanı sıra prosedürüne uygun olan yapılan tedaviler olumlu sonuçlar vermiştir. Ülkemizde ise bu alanda yapılmış araştırma sayısı kısıtlıdır. Hayvan destekli tedaviyi çok yönlü araştırmaya çalışan bu derlemede tedavinin tanımına, tarihçesine, kullanım alanlarına, tedavide kullanılan hayvan türlerine yer verilmiş ve çocukluk ile yaşlılık gibi farklı yaşam dönemlerindeki uygulamalarına değinilmiştir. Hayvan destekli tedavinin birçok hastalıkta ve ruhsal bozuklukta olumlu sonuçları görülen destek bir tedavi türü olarak ülkemizde uygulanmasının, tedavide farklı hayvan türlerinin denenmesinin yanı sıra diğer ruhsal bozukluk ve hastalıklarda da uygulanmasının yararlı olacağı düşünülmektedir.

Objectives: Diabetic nephropathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes and the most common cause of end-stage renal failure throughout the world. Videocapillaroscopy is a simple and noninvasive method that can display capillaries in the nail bed at the micron level. A few studies have been conducted on detecting retinopathy, another important diabetic microvascular complication, with videocapillaroscopy; however, no comprehensive study has been performed on diabetic nephropathy. We aimed to determine the relationship between nephropathy and capillaroscopic changes. Subjects and [...] ABSTRACT Objectives: Diabetic nephropathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes and the most common cause of end-stage renal failure throughout the world. Videocapillaroscopy is a simple and noninvasive method that can display capillaries in the nail bed at the micron level. A few studies have been conducted on detecting retinopathy, another important diabetic microvascular complication, with videocapillaroscopy; however, no comprehensive study has been performed on diabetic nephropathy. We aimed to determine the relationship between nephropathy and capillaroscopic changes. Subjects and