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Simple heartburn can be a serious problem. Heartburn is because of acid reflux or GERD. This happens when you have a weakness in the lower sphincter or a valve in the bottom of the esophagus, which causes acid that’s made in the stomach to reflux back and cause damage to the lower part of the esophagus. This can lead to scarring and inflammation in the esophagus and also lead to a change called Barrett’s esophagus, which is a precancerous condition that can happen over time. So yes, acid reflux and heartburn can lead to cancer and is a serious concern.

Symptoms of colon cancer are very important to understand. Symptoms of colon cancer would include weight loss, changes in your bowel habits, blood in your stool, abdominal pain, bloating and discomfort. Any of these signs can be symptoms of colon cancer.

NASH has become an epidemic in our society. It is projected that, by 2020 or 2025, the most common cause of liver transplantation in America will be related to obesity and NASH. We have now, in our research center, more than six trials where we are testing different drugs to see if we can find an effective drug that will decrease the fibrosis and prevent cirrhosis in these patients, and consequently save their lives.

Yes, IBD treatment has evolved significantly in the last 20 years. Fifteen years ago, there were only three or four drugs available to treat Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. Right now, we have more than 20 in the market. On top of that, we have another six or seven drugs in clinical trials and that have made the treatment more available. The serious side effects that were mentioned initially are considered safer at this time, and we believe that the benefits of these trials and treatments greatly exceed the potential risks associated with these medications.

The main treatment for NASH at this point is going to be diet and weight loss. We do have several research studies available where they’re using medications to try and see if that can help with NASH and fatty liver. We also recommend regular exercise and also controlling any other risk factors, such as high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure. We really encourage our patients to participate in these clinical trials because if we were able to develop