FNHA Statement on passing of Shane Pointe - First Nations Health Authority

A large-scale study, presented today at UEG Week 2026, has identified distinct antibody patterns up to 10 years before the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), potentially opening new avenues for earlier risk detection and providing insights into future disease course. IBD is a group of chronic conditions, including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), in which abnormal immune responses contribute to ongoing inflammation and damage in the digestive system. Although IBD is increasingly recognized to develop over a prolonged period before diagnosis, relatively little is known about the immune changes that occur during this time.

Antibiotic use from childhood through early adulthood was associated with higher odds of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at age 24, with the odds increasing as the number of antibiotic prescriptions rose, according to a new study presented today at UEG Week 2026. IBS is a common digestive disorder that affects more than 60 million people across Europe, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits. Whilst previous research has suggested a link between antibiotic use and IBS, evidence on whether childhood exposure is associated with IBS in adulthood remains inconsistent. Much of the existing evidence relies on people recalling past antibiotic use, with a lack of population-based studies using objectively recorded antibiotic data across childhood.