A new study from the University of Missouri (Mizzou) suggests that a common blood pressure medication called propranolol might help relieve stomach problems in some people with autism.
These issues—including bloating, constipation, and diarrhea—are more common in autistic individuals than in the general population and can significantly affect quality of life.
Researchers at Mizzou are working to understand how to improve gut health in people with autism, especially since past studies have shown that digestive problems are often linked to stress, anxiety, and depression.
By focusing on how the nervous system interacts with the gut, the team hopes to find new ways to treat these symptoms and improve overall wellbeing.
Brad Ferguson, an assistant research professor at Mizzou’s School of Medicine, has been studying how propranolol can be used for more than just lowering blood pressure. In 2023, he helped publish research showing that this drug can help reduce anxiety in people with autism. Now, his team has taken it a step further by looking at whether the same medication can ease stomach discomfort.
In this new pilot study, 46 autistic teenagers and young adults who receive care at Mizzou’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment took propranolol for 12 weeks. The researchers also tracked their heart rate variability, which is a measure of how calm or stressed the nervous system is. They found that participants with a calmer nervous system (higher heart rate variability) showed more improvement in their digestive symptoms after taking the medication.
According to Ferguson, these findings support the idea of “precision medicine”—using individual differences to find the best treatment for each person. “Propranolol seemed to work best for people whose nervous system was already more relaxed,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ferguson is teaming up with engineering professor Fang Wang to explore new technology, including a smartwatch app that can monitor stress levels and social behavior in people with and without stomach problems. The goal is to better understand who benefits most from certain treatments and how to track progress in real time.
The study, titled Pilot trial on the effects of propranolol on gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder and heart rate variability as a treatment response biomarker, was published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.
