Early morning colonoscopies may detect more polyps than those done later.

Moral of the story: Thinking about that nasty colonoscopy you need soon? Better schedule it for the morning, it will be more effective.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 11/9/09

Early morning colonoscopies may detect more polyps than those done later.

HealthDay (11/6, Preidt) reported, "Early morning colonoscopies detect more polyps than colon cancer screenings done later in the day," according to a study published in the Nov. issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The study of "477 people who had colonoscopies in a one-year span" showed that screenings "that started at 8:30 a.m. or earlier detected 27 percent more polyps per patient than colonoscopies performed at a later time."

Furthermore, researchers appeared to find "fewer polyps...hour by hour as the day progresses," WebMD (11/6, Hendrick) reported. The investigators speculated that "more polyps are found early in the day" because of "better bowel preparation the night before by patients," and "fatigue of physicians and assistants."