What's new in gastroenterology: key takeaways from UEG Week 2026

Elena Kasimtseva — GP, gastroenterologist, Medical Director of GMS Clinic

UEG Week is the annual congress of United European Gastroenterology. In 2026 it took place on October 17–20 in Barcelona. Elena Kasimtseva attended, and from hundreds of presentations she picked five topics that matter to our patients now or may soon. These are congress presentations, not new clinical guidelines: they don't change treatment yet, but they show where things are heading.

Antibiotics in childhood and IBS in adulthood

Swedish researchers took 2,853 people from the BAMSE cohort, counted every antibiotic prescription from age 9–11 until shortly before 24, then checked for irritable bowel syndrome at 24. IBS affected 10%. Those who had taken antibiotics had about 1.5 times higher odds of IBS, and the odds rose with the number of courses: 1.7 times higher with six or more prescriptions.

This is an association, not a proven cause, and the authors say so plainly. They also point out that antibiotics remain an important and sometimes essential treatment. Don't refuse them when you need them. But it is one more reason not to ask for an antibiotic "just in case" with a cold, or take one without a prescription. How IBS is diagnosed and treated is in "Irritable bowel syndrome".

Inflammatory bowel disease: signals years before diagnosis

Researchers from Groningen and Mount Sinai in New York studied 2,000 blood samples from 500 people, taken at diagnosis and 2, 4 and 10 years earlier. In people who later developed Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, antibody profiles differed from healthy people as early as 10 years before. A model told future patients from healthy people with an AUC of 0.90 for Crohn's disease and 0.84 for ulcerative colitis.

Another study, from Sweden and Norway, looked at people newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Using the stool microbiome before treatment, a model predicted an aggressive course over the first 12 months with an AUC of 0.85.

The authors call this a proof of principle: before it becomes a test, it has to be checked in other, more diverse groups. For now, when we suspect bowel inflammation, we rely on proven tools: a stool calprotectin test (AED 350 at GMS) and, if it is raised, a colonoscopy.

A blood test for colon cancer: still research

The European DIOPTRA project presented a panel of 17 blood proteins. In a validation group of 314 people from eight centers, it caught 94.4% of stage I colon cancers. But it recognized advanced adenomas, the precancerous polyps, only about half the time. And much of the point of screening is to find and remove a polyp before it turns into cancer.

The test will next be studied in 3,000 people. Until then, the DHA recommendation stands in Dubai: for people 40 to 75 at average risk, a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every two years or a colonoscopy every 10 years. Colonoscopy is performed at partner hospitals in the presence of Elena Kasimtseva, and the GMS medical concierge handles booking, paperwork and translation. More on screening in Dubai is in our gastroenterology guide.

How long food really takes

In Leuven, 831 volunteers ate a muffin with a blue food dye that the body doesn't absorb and noted when their stool turned blue. The median whole-gut transit time was 23.9 hours, and 81.3% fell between 13.3 and 51.2 hours. Women took longer on average than men: 25.9 vs. 21.9 hours. The harder and less frequent the stool, the longer the transit.

The takeaway: normal is a wide range, and you don't need a bowel movement every day. The test itself is still a research tool that the authors plan to validate further, so it isn't a way to judge your own gut without a doctor. If constipation or diarrhea persists, come in.

The liver: a ten-minute check right outside the congress

For the first time, UEG Week hosted EASL's Love Your Liver initiative: over four days, about 700 members of the public, venue staff and delegates had a free ten-minute transient elastography scan. The organizers noted that cirrhosis and liver cancer cause almost 780 deaths a day in the WHO European Region, and that many liver diseases stay silent for a long time.

Liver stiffness is measured quickly and painlessly, but the result is not a diagnosis; it is a reason to talk to a doctor. It is worth discussing a check if you have type 2 diabetes, excess weight, raised liver enzymes or drink alcohol regularly. At GMS we do liver ultrasound elastography for AED 1,000. What a "fatty liver" finding means is covered in "Fatty liver disease".

What to take away

Antibiotics only when prescribed. Colon cancer screening in Dubai starts at 40, with proven methods. Get your liver checked if you have risk factors, even if nothing bothers you.

To talk through what applies to you, book a gastroenterologist consultation (AED 750). You can book with Elena Kasimtseva, GP, gastroenterologist, Medical Director of GMS Clinic, through the form on our website or on WhatsApp.

Sources

• United European Gastroenterology. UEG Week 2026, Barcelona, 17–20 October 2026
• UEG. Antibiotic use from childhood linked to higher odds of IBS in young adulthood (press release, 2026)
• UEG. Immune changes could signal inflammatory bowel disease up to 10 years before diagnosis (press release, 2026)
• EMJ. Gut Microbiome Predicts Aggressive Ulcerative Colitis: UEGW 2026, abstract OP232 (2026)
• EMJ. Blood-Based Biomarkers Improve Colorectal Cancer Detection: UEGW 2026, abstract OP076 (2026)
• EMJ. Blue Muffin Test Validated as a Gut Transit Time Biomarker: UEGW 2026, abstract OP241 (2026)
• UEG. Beyond the congress: Bringing liver health into the community (2026)
• Dubai Health Authority. Dubai Periodic Health Screening Guideline (2024)

FAQ

Do antibiotics cause irritable bowel syndrome?

In a Swedish study presented at UEG Week 2026, people who had taken antibiotics had about 1.5 times higher odds of IBS at age 24, and 1.7 times higher with six or more prescriptions. The authors stress this is an association, not a proven cause. Don't skip antibiotics you need, but take them only when a doctor prescribes them.

Can a blood test replace a colonoscopy for colon cancer?

Not yet. A 17-protein blood panel shown at UEG Week 2026 caught 94.4% of stage I cancers but only about half of precancerous polyps, and it still has to be tested in 3,000 people. In Dubai, the DHA recommends a FIT every two years or a colonoscopy every 10 years for people 40 to 75.

How long does food take to pass through the gut?

In a Belgian study of 831 volunteers, the median was 23.9 hours, and 81.3% fell between 13.3 and 51.2 hours; women took longer on average than men. You don't need a bowel movement every day. If constipation or diarrhea persists, see a doctor.

Can Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis be predicted early?

Research at UEG Week 2026 showed that antibody profiles in the blood change up to 10 years before diagnosis. But this is a proof of principle: the test still has to be checked in other groups. For now, suspected bowel inflammation is assessed with a stool calprotectin test and colonoscopy.

This article is for information only and does not replace a consultation. If you have symptoms, see a doctor.

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