Scientists have made an important discovery that could change the way doctors understand irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive condition that affects more than one in ten people worldwide.
IBS often causes repeated stomach pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or a mixture of both. Although it is very common, doctors still do not fully understand why some people develop the condition, making it difficult to create treatments that work well for everyone.
For many years, researchers believed IBS was mainly a disorder involving communication between the brain and the gut. The digestive system contains millions of nerve cells that constantly exchange signals with the brain.
Stress, anxiety, and mood disorders are known to influence IBS symptoms, and many patients notice that emotional stress makes their digestive problems worse. However, this explanation has never fully accounted for all cases of IBS.
A new international study now suggests another important part of the puzzle. Researchers found that the body's metabolism, especially the way it processes fats in the blood, may also influence the risk of developing IBS. The study was led by Professor Mauro D'Amato from LUM University and CIC bioGUNE and published in the journal Gut.
The research is one of the largest genetic studies of IBS ever performed. Scientists analyzed the genetic and health information of 2,775,539 people from 22 large biobanks around the world. They compared the DNA of people with IBS to those without the condition to identify genes linked to disease risk.
The researchers identified 35 regions of the human genome associated with IBS. Some of these genes were linked to the nervous system, supporting previous research.
However, they also discovered an unexpected connection with cardiometabolic health, especially blood triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat that circulates in the bloodstream and stores extra energy. High triglyceride levels are already known to increase the risk of heart disease and fatty liver disease.
The strongest evidence involved a gene called GCKR. This gene helps control how the liver processes sugar and fat. A specific variation of GCKR was associated with higher triglyceride levels and a greater chance of developing IBS.
The findings suggest that changes in liver metabolism may influence digestive health in ways that scientists had not previously recognised.
The researchers also searched for medicines that might reverse the biological changes linked to IBS. Their analysis highlighted several existing drugs that affect fat metabolism and cardiovascular disease, raising the possibility that some medicines already on the market could eventually be tested as new IBS treatments.
This study provides a broader picture of IBS by showing that the condition may involve the gut, brain, liver, and metabolism working together. One strength of the research is its enormous sample size, which increases confidence in the genetic findings.
However, the study cannot prove that high triglycerides directly cause IBS, and clinical trials will be needed before new treatments can be recommended. Even so, the findings open exciting new directions for research and may eventually lead to more personalised treatments for patients whose symptoms do not improve with current therapies.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about the crucial link between diet, gut health, and the immune system and results showing that Low-gluten, high-fiber diets boost gut health and weight loss.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about Navigating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with diet and results showing that Mycoprotein in diet may reduce risk of bowel cancer and improve gut health.
Source: LUM University.
Scientists have made an important discovery that could change the way doctors understand irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a digestive condition that affects more than one in ten people worldwide.
IBS often causes repeated stomach pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or a mixture of both. Although it is very common, doctors still do not fully understand why some people develop the condition, making it difficult to create treatments that work well for everyone.
For many years, researchers believed IBS was mainly a disorder involving communication between the brain and the gut. The digestive system contains millions of nerve cells that constantly exchange signals with the brain.
Stress, anxiety, and mood disorders are known to influence IBS symptoms, and many patients notice that emotional stress makes their digestive problems worse. However, this explanation has never fully accounted for all cases of IBS.
A new international study now suggests another important part of the puzzle. Researchers found that the body’s metabolism, especially the way it processes fats in the blood, may also influence the risk of developing IBS. The study was led by Professor Mauro D’Amato from LUM University and CIC bioGUNE and published in the journal Gut.
The research is one of the largest genetic studies of IBS ever performed. Scientists analyzed the genetic and health information of 2,775,539 people from 22 large biobanks around the world. They compared the DNA of people with IBS to those without the condition to identify genes linked to disease risk.
The researchers identified 35 regions of the human genome associated with IBS. Some of these genes were linked to the nervous system, supporting previous research.
However, they also discovered an unexpected connection with cardiometabolic health, especially blood triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat that circulates in the bloodstream and stores extra energy. High triglyceride levels are already known to increase the risk of heart disease and fatty liver disease.
The strongest evidence involved a gene called GCKR. This gene helps control how the liver processes sugar and fat. A specific variation of GCKR was associated with higher triglyceride levels and a greater chance of developing IBS.
The findings suggest that changes in liver metabolism may influence digestive health in ways that scientists had not previously recognised.
The researchers also searched for medicines that might reverse the biological changes linked to IBS. Their analysis highlighted several existing drugs that affect fat metabolism and cardiovascular disease, raising the possibility that some medicines already on the market could eventually be tested as new IBS treatments.
This study provides a broader picture of IBS by showing that the condition may involve the gut, brain, liver, and metabolism working together. One strength of the research is its enormous sample size, which increases confidence in the genetic findings.
However, the study cannot prove that high triglycerides directly cause IBS, and clinical trials will be needed before new treatments can be recommended. Even so, the findings open exciting new directions for research and may eventually lead to more personalised treatments for patients whose symptoms do not improve with current therapies.
