Craig Strasnick

The IBSchek Test – An Alternative to Traditional IBS Testing

IBSchek pic — IBSchek
Image: ibschek.com

The president and CEO of Commonwealth Diagnostics International (CDI) in Salem, Massachusetts, Craig Strasnick oversees the company’s daily operations, which range from sales and marketing to financial management and strategic planning. Under Craig Strasnick’s direction, CDI developed a proprietary blood test for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Marketed under the name IBSchek, this blood test is based on the scientific findings of Dr. Mark Pimentel and his team of gastrointestinal experts at the Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In a comprehensive clinical trial involving more than 2,500 patients, the IBSchek test effectively diagnosed diarrhea-predominant and mixed-symptom IBS, using anti-vinculin and anti-CdtB as biomarkers. This ELISA-based blood test can deliver results quickly, using only 3 milliliters of blood.

Traditional IBS testing, by contrast, involves a range of costly and invasive diagnostic procedures. After taking the time to rule out all other possible diagnoses, doctors may take as long as four to six years to arrive at a definitive IBS diagnosis.

CDI’s Fructose Malabsorption Breath Test

Breath Testpic — Breath Test
Image: commdx.com

As president and CEO of Commonwealth Diagnostics International (CDI), Craig Strasnick leads a firm that has developed leading edge breath tests that allow patients to breathe into test tubes that are then analyzed to diagnose a number of digestive issues. One such test offered by Craig Strasnick’s company uses hydrogen and methane to determine whether a patient has fructose malabsorption.

Fructose is common in a variety of foods, including honey, fruits, sugar, and processed foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. Fructose malabsorption results from a deficiency in the small intestine’s fructose carriers located in the enterocytes. With complete absorption impossible, the fructose becomes concentrated and attracts water, potentially causing diarrhea.

In addition, the fructose is carried to the colon, or large intestine, where it is quickly broken down by normal bacteria. Symptoms of this process include gas, bloating, and abdominal cramps.

A noninvasive test, the CDI fructose malabsorption breath test records patient breath samples every 40 minutes as a prepared amount of fructose breaks down. Requirements for the test, which can be carried out in a clinical or at-home setting, include 12-hour dietary prep and a 12-hour fast.

What is Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth?

Commonwealth Diagnostics Internationalpic — Commonwealth Diagnostics International
Image: commdx.com

Craig Strasnick serves as the president and CEO of Salem based Commonwealth Diagnostics International. As a leader in the medical industry, Craig Strasnick is committed to providing cutting-edge diagnostic tests within the gastroenterology field, including a test that evaluates for small intestine bacterial overgrowth.

Excessive bacterial accumulation in the small intestine is referred to as small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). In the US, as many as 80 percent of those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome also have SIBO.

Although it is normal for bacteria to be present in the colon and other parts of the intestine, the small intestine should have relatively low bacterial counts. If normal bowel motility is compromised, which can result from damaged intestines, low stomach acid, or delayed movement of waste from the small intestine to the colon, the risk of developing SIBO increases.

SIBO causes inflammation of the intestine’s mucosal lining and can contribute to a variety of health issues such as fatigue, osteoporosis, flatulence, fatty stools, and diarrhea. A person with SIBO may also experience unintentional weight loss and a diverse range of nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorption.

Detecting H. Pylori Infections Using Commonwealth Urea Breath Testing

H. Pylori Infections pic — H. Pylori Infections
Image: commdx.com

Craig Strasnick serves as the chief executive officer of Commonwealth Diagnostics International, a company that he cofounded with his father. Together with his team, Craig Strasnick designs cutting-edge diagnostic tools for gastroenterological issues, including a breath test that looks for signs of infection caused by Helicobacter pylori.

The bacterium H. pylori has been identified as the leading cause of stomach ulcers. More than 50 percent of the world’s population is infected with the bacterium although most individuals remain asymptomatic. The bacterium lives in the stomach, where it has adapted to the acidic environment. Because of this, H. pylori can cause chronic gastritis in addition to peptic ulcer disease. Also, the bacterium can contribute to gastric cancer and a specific variety of lymphoma.

H. pylori infection is treatable, and a Commonwealth test allows for easy diagnosis. The non-invasive breath test uses a liquid scintillation counter to look for byproducts of the bacterium’s metabolism. Gastric urease present in H. pylori can split urea to form carbon dioxide and ammonia. Patients ingest urea with tagged carbon molecules after fasting. Presence of tagged carbon dioxide in the breath indicates the presence of H. pylori in the stomach.

Testing for Helicobacter Pylori Using the Urea Breath Test

Craig Strasnick - Salem, Massachusetts — Craig Strasnick – Salem, Massachusetts

Since 2015, Craig Strasnick has served as the president and CEO of Commonwealth Diagnostics International. In the development of patient-centered preventative health and monitoring technologies, Craig Strasnick oversees processes such as the urea breath test for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

H. pylori is a bacteria thought to be responsible for the development of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers. Up to half of the global population may be infected, though a large majority display no symptoms.

H. pylori bacteria have evolved to survive in the acidic stomach environment. The bacteria have been linked to mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) and gastric cancer.

A urea breath test can easily determine the existence of H. pylori. The noninvasive test is based on the clinically proven breakdown of urea by H. pylori.

In the test, the patient is given a tablet containing urea and minimally radioactive carbon. The patient exhales into a bag, and the captured breath is tested in the laboratory.

American Brain Tumor Association Works for Research and Advocacy

Since 2015, Commonwealth Diagnostics International and its co-founder, Craig Strasnick, have worked to bring innovative diagnostics to market in the field of gastroenterology. The company’s newest diagnostic systems include IBSchek, a ground-breaking test for irritable bowel syndrome, a hard-to-diagnose condition also known as IBS. In addition, Craig Strasnick supports a variety of charitable causes, many of which complement his company’s work in the field of medicine.

Among these groups is the American Brain Tumor Association. The Commonwealth Diagnostics team has taken part in the group’s New York City 5K walk to raise funds for the cause.

American Brain Tumor Association pic — American Brain Tumor Association
Image: abta.org

In 1973, the ABTA was established as the first-ever nonprofit group devoted entirely to brain tumor research. Today, it fights on behalf of the approximately 700,000 Americans struggling to live with primary brain and central nervous system tumors. The organization’s work includes funding research designed to find new treatments and possible cures, as well as advocating for patients and offering educational and other resources related to their needs.

Over the past 40 years, the group has directed grant monies totaling some $30 million to dedicated researchers around the world. It strives to identify promising emerging technologies, including medical imaging, drug therapies, and diagnostic tools, that hold the potential to alleviate or cure brain tumors.

The ABTA keeps its primary vision – that one day no one will lose his or her life to a brain tumor – at the center of its ongoing work.

New Test Looks for Fast Identification of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Whether patients have irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease what matters to them most is getting the correct diagnosis and treatment as quickly as possible.

Craig Strasnick, Entrepreneur and Global Executive

The 2017 World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG

Craig Strasnick graduated from Northeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2010. For five years, he served as CEO of Commonwealth Laboratories Inc. with responsibilities that included leading a management team, strategic planning, and supervising legal operations. Additionally, Craig Strasnick supports a number of organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).

World Congress of Gastroenterology pic — World Congress of Gastroenterology
Image: worldgastroenterology.org

ACG is a professional organization that offers membership to clinical gastroenterologists. It provides access to resources that keep gastroenterologists current on clinical updates and offers educational and legislative initiatives so they can continue to provide patients with quality care. One way this is accomplished is through the World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG 2017 conference. From October 13 to 18 in 2017, the conference will be held in Orlando, Florida. It is a partnership between the ACG and the World Congress of Gastroenterology, a federation of member societies of gastroenterology and related fields.

Every four years, and soon to be every two years, professionals gather at the World Congress to connect with colleagues, discuss global health issues, hone their skills, and stay up to date with clinical procedures.

CDI Offers Gastrointestinal Breath Tests

Craig Strasnick was the chief operating officer of Commonwealth Laboratories, Inc., in Salem, Massachusetts from 2011-2016. In 2015, Craig Strasnick became the president and CEO of Commonwealth Diagnostics International (CDI).

CDI is an international diagnostic service that offers state-of-the-art products for patients suffering from gastrointestinal distress, including both blood and breath tests. The hydrogen breath tests are both accurate and easy to self-administer. However, the tests do require the subject to adhere to a specific 24-hour diet before testing. A 12-hour rigid diet and then a 12 hour fast is required along with abstaining from certain medications as well as both anti and probiotics.

Gastrointestinal Breath Tests pic — Gastrointestinal Breath Tests
Image: commdx.com

Breath tests include Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), Lactose Intolerance/Lactose Malabsorption, Fructose Intolerance/Fructose Malabsorption, Sucrose Intolerance/Sucrose Malabsorption, and the Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) test.

CDI-related laboratories perform these tests, and the results are either faxed back to the healthcare provider or sent through their HIPAA-compliant online system.