Key Considerations in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Interviews with Key Opinion Leaders

Treatment advances in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as the development of new biomarkers and technologies to enhance monitoring of the disease and response to treatment, are providing new possibilities in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Awareness of the impact of IBD on patients beyond clinical endpoints is also increasing, including the prevalence and extent of extra-intestinal manifestations, psychological issues, and nutritional deficiencies. This means that the role of physicians in IBD is more important than ever, with continuous investigation required for every patient and a wealth of considerations to take into account when deciding on the most suitable treatment approach to undertake. For this article, the European Medical Journal conducted a series of interviews with five key opinion leaders from across Europe, each with a wealth of experience and expertise in managing IBD, to gain their perspectives on a range of topics in this area. From the UK, we spoke to Dr Ian Arnott, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Edinburgh IBD Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK; from Spain, Dr Manuel Barreiro-de Acosta, Gastroenterology Department, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; from Germany, Prof Eduard Stange, Internal Medicine I – Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious diseases, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; from Italy, Prof Antonio Tursi, Gastroenterology Service, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Barletta Andria Trani, Andria, Italy; and from France, Prof Frank Ruemmele, Professor of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty of the Université Sorbonne, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France. The article begins by discussing monitoring of treatment response and detection of extra-intestinal manifestations, followed by considerations in making treatment decisions before outlining novel therapy options in both UC and CD. Optimal use of anti-TNF therapy, the impact and challenge of psychological issues in IBD, and nutrition and diet in this disease are also explored.