'A major step in patient education and participation in the management of diverticulitis' - Professor Frank A. FrizelleDiverticular disease (DD) is a digestive disorder caused by enflamed diverticula, or pouches, in the colon. A common cause is constipation due to lack of fibre in the diet.

Diverticulitis is very common, with about 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK and 300,000 in the USA. Symptoms are usually persistent abdominal pain plus disturbed bowel function (constipation or diarrhoea or alternating between the two). Diverticulitis sometimes becomes very severe leading to perforation of the bowel, forming an abscess or rarely peritonitis.

Topics include:

• The medical treatment of diverticular disease
• Probiotics ('good' or 'friendly' live bacteria and yeasts said to be good for digestive health
• The increase of diverticular disease in the population
• Effects of diverticular disease