CHICAGO, IL - May 9, 2023 - Dieta Health, digital health startup building gastroenterology AI, is proud to announce the results of two cutting-edge studies presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Conference 2023, showcasing the potential of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smartphone app in assessing and monitoring gastrointestinal conditions.

The first study was led by Dr. Gil Melmed, a distinguished inflammatory bowel disease specialist and Director of Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Cedars-Sinai. This study examined the relationship between stool characteristics, as measured by Dieta’s stool image recognition AI platform, and inflammation in patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC). The Dieta app was employed to capture stool images and analyze various characteristics, such as Bristol stool scale, consistency, edge fuzziness, fragmentation, and volume. As part of its initiative to expand to IBD beyond IBS, Dieta added new stool characteristics to its platform including mucus, blood, and color. The results indicated a significant correlation between AI measurements of Bristol stool scale, stool consistency, and stool fragmentation with C-reactive protein (CRP) values in hospitalized ASUC patients. Specifically, Bristol stool scale and fragmentation positively correlated with CRP (p=0.026 and 0.049), while consistency negatively correlated with CRP (p=0.047). Additionally, the presence of mucus in stool images was associated with higher median CRP values. These findings suggest that AI-driven analysis of stool characteristics can provide valuable insights into inflammation levels in ASUC patients, offering a potential non-invasive tool for disease monitoring and management.

The Ulcerative Colitis presentation poster

The second study, spearheaded by Dr. Mark Pimentel, a renowned gastroenterologist and Executive Director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai, focused on irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). This study explored the relationship between real-time AI stool imaging using the Dieta app and lactulose breath test results, which give insights into the gut microbiome. The research findings demonstrated a significant correlation between AI-driven stool analysis and breath test results. Specifically, methane positivity - associated with certain bacteria in the gut microbiome - predicted less diarrhea severity, while hydrogen sulfide positivity - indicative of a different microbial environment - predicted more diarrhea severity and higher volume stool, with effects beginning at ≥2ppm and increasing with higher levels. This research represents a significant step in understanding the complex relationship between the gut microbiome and IBS-D symptoms. It provides a basis for better categorizing patients based on similar symptoms, lab results, and microbiome characteristics, potentially enabling more personalized and effective treatment strategies in the future.

These studies highlight the potential of Dieta Health's AI technology as a non-invasive tool for monitoring gastrointestinal conditions. The app's ability to accurately assess stool characteristics will revolutionize the way physicians and patients approach disease monitoring and management. Dieta is incredibly proud of these results and most grateful to our friends at Cedars-Sinai, both on the IBD and IBS research teams, for their partnership and enthusiasm for innovation on behalf of patients.

Read the 2 abstracts below:

We look forward to further research and collaboration to continue refining our technology and expanding its applications. With a few active clinical trials running currently, we hope to have even better results to present.

All interested users of the Dieta technology can email Founder & CEO Asaf Kraus at asaf@dietahealth.com