Abhishek Dimopoulos-Verma, MD

All Publications

• Statin use is associated with lower rates of stricture development in patients with Crohn's disease: a propensity score-matched study of two nationwide population databases. Journal of Crohn's & colitis Dimopoulos-Verma, A., Kulkarni, C., Pike, C. W., Gombar, S., Dasarathy, D., Rieder, F., Sinha, S. R. 2026; 20 (3)

  Abstract

  Intestinal stricture affects over half of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and has significant associated morbidity. Statins possess both anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties and may improve CD outcomes, although current data are limited. This study assessed whether statin use is associated with a reduced risk of new stricture development in CD in a diverse US population, and evaluated the role of IBD therapy in any association.We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing patients with CD with and without statin exposure using the EVERSANA US electronic health records database. Findings were independently validated in a second database (Merative MarketScan). Patient demographics, co-morbidities, laboratory measurements, and CD medications were assessed. The primary outcome was development of new stricture as defined by a composite endpoint of an encounter for stricture diagnosis or occurrence of a stricture-related procedure. Propensity score (PS)-matched Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations.The EVERSANA cohort comprised 1210 statin recipients and 25 000 non-statin users. Over a mean follow-up of 3.8 years, PS-matched statin users had a 28% reduction in the risk of new-onset stricture (hazard ratio [HR] 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53-0.99, P = .043). The Merative cohort contained 9577 statin users and 56 918 non-statin users. Over a mean follow-up of 3.6 years, PS-matched statin use had a 29% risk reduction in new-onset stricture (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.66-0.77, P < .001).Statin use is independently associated with reduced progression to stricture formation in two PS-matched large and diverse cohorts of patients with CD.

  View details for DOI 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjag034

  View details for PubMedID 41903936

• Oral vancomycin is associated with less therapy intensification in adults with symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease and underlying primary sclerosing cholangitis. Annals of gastroenterology Kulkarni, C., Talamantes, S., Dimopoulos-Verma, A., Fardeen, T., Khan, S., Cholankeril, G., Triadafilopoulos, G., Sinha, S. R. 2025; 38 (4): 409-414

  Abstract

  Case reports describe the use of oral vancomycin therapy (OVT) in adult patients with concomitant symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). OVT is associated with a higher likelihood of IBD remission in pediatric IBD-PSC patients. However, there are limited data on the association between OVT and IBD disease course in adult IBD-PSC patients.We retrospectively evaluated IBD therapy intensification in adults with IBD-PSC prescribed OVT at 2 centers. Subjects were stratified by time "on" and "off" OVT. Only those who spent a minimum of 12 months in each period were included. The primary outcome was the frequency of IBD therapy intensification events.Of 31 patients initially considered, 22 met the inclusion criteria. Most patients (68.2%) had fewer or no intensification events while "on OVT" compared to those "off OVT". OVT was associated with fewer therapy intensification events (1.7 vs. 6.7, P=0.021) and steroid prescriptions (0.6 vs. 3.2, P=0.013) per 10 person-years.OVT use is associated with less need for IBD therapy intensification in symptomatic IBD-PSC adult patients. Prospective trials of OVT in such patients are warranted.

  View details for DOI 10.20524/aog.2025.0978

  View details for PubMedID 40697439

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12277516

• Oral vancomycin is associated with less therapy intensification in adults with symptomatic inflammatory bowel disease and underlying primary sclerosing cholangitis ANNALS OF GASTROENTEROLOGY Kulkarni, C., Talamantes, S., Dimopoulos-Verma, A., Fardeen, T., Khan, S., Cholankeril, G., Triadafilopoulos, G., Sinha, S. R. 2025

  View details for DOI 10.20524/aog.2025.0978

  View details for Web of Science ID 001530973900001

• PCR-based stool testing for enteric infections in flares of inflammatory bowel disease: Is more data worth the cost? Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology Dimopoulos-Verma, A., Axelrad, J. E. 2025

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s12664-025-01793-5

  View details for PubMedID 40377862

  View details for PubMedCentralID 9115373

• Enteric Infection at Flare of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Impacts Outcomes at 2 Years. Inflammatory bowel diseases Dimopoulos-Verma, A., Hong, S., Axelrad, J. E. 2023

  Abstract

  BACKGROUND: Outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) following flare complicated by enteric infection (EI) are limited by follow-up duration and insufficient assessment of the role of non-Clostridioides difficile pathogens. We compared 2-year IBD outcomes following flare with and without EI.METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of adults evaluated with stool PCR testing for IBD flare. Subjects were stratified by presence of EI at flare and were matched for age, sex, and date to those without EI. The primary outcome was a composite of steroid-dependent IBD, colectomy, and/or IBD therapy class change/dose escalation at 2 years. Additional analyses were performed by dividing the EI group into C. difficile infection (CDI) and non-CDI EI, and further subdividing non-CDI EI into E. coli subtypes and other non-CDI EI.RESULTS: We identified 137 matched subjects, of whom 62 (45%) had EI (40 [29%] CDI; 17 [12%] E. coli). Enteric infection at flare was independently associated with the primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 4.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-11.5). After dividing EI into CDI and non-CDI EI, only CDI at flare was independently associated with the primary outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 4.04; 95% CI, 1.46-12.6). After separating E. coli subtypes from non-CDI EI, E. coli infection and CDI at flare were both independently associated with the primary outcome; other EI was not.CONCLUSIONS: Enteric infection at flare-specifically with CDI-is associated with worse IBD outcomes at 2 years. The relationship between E. coli subtypes at flare and subsequent IBD outcomes requires further investigation.

  View details for DOI 10.1093/ibd/izad253

  View details for PubMedID 37861390