Gastroparesis News and Research

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Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a disorder in which the stomach takes too long to empty its contents. Normally, the stomach contracts to move food down into the small intestine for digestion. The vagus nerve controls the movement of food from the stomach through the digestive tract. Gastroparesis occurs when the vagus nerve is damaged and the muscles of the stomach and intestines do not work normally. Food then moves slowly or stops moving through the digestive tract.

Digital twin of the gut-brain axis aims to advance neurostimulation therapies

The gut and brain are in constant conversation, exchanging signals that regulate hunger and digestion, as well as the body's response to stress.

3 Aug 2026

GLP-1 drugs promise wider health benefits, but experts urge caution on use

GLP-1 receptor agonists are reshaping care for type 2 diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, and obstructive sleep apnea, with evidence for glycemic, weight-loss, cardiovascular, and renal benefits. The review urges nurse practitioners to balance expanding clinical promise with careful prescribing, patient education, monitoring, access advocacy, and vigilance for gastrointestinal, endocrine, pregnancy-related, and rare serious risks.

27 Apr 2026

New stem cell therapy offers permanent cure for Hirschsprung disease

Scientists are developing a revolutionary new stem cell therapy to treat a rare and life-threatening disease that leaves newborn babies unable to function without invasive surgery, thanks to a collaboration between UCL, the University of Sheffield and Queen's University Belfast.

31 Mar 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help curb addiction? Large veteran study points to potential benefit

A large cohort study of more than 600,000 US veterans with type 2 diabetes found that initiating GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with lower risks of developing substance use disorders compared with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Among veterans with existing substance use disorders, GLP-1 receptor agonist use was also linked to fewer overdose events, hospitalizations, and suicide-related outcomes.

8 Mar 2026

Study compares GLP-1 drug benefits and finds substantial variation in clinical effects

GLP-1 receptor agonists improve glycaemic control and provide renal, metabolic, and selective cardiovascular benefits in people with type 2 diabetes, based on an umbrella review of 17 meta-analyses. However, these agents consistently increase gastrointestinal adverse effects and show important distinctions between class-level outcomes and individual drug effects, particularly for semaglutide.

20 Nov 2025

Georgia State scientist receives $25,000 grant to develop mechanisms for treating obesity

Chong Hyun Shin, a research associate professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, has received a $25,000 grant to develop mechanisms for treating obesity and obesity-related metabolic dysfunctions.

23 Sep 2025

AGA releases new clinical guideline for diagnosing and managing gastroparesis

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released a new clinical guideline with 12 conditional recommendations for diagnosing and managing gastroparesis, a serious and often debilitating disease.

19 Sep 2025

New swallowable device enables noninvasive gut nerve stimulation

Scientists have long struggled with how to study the gut's vast nervous system - often called the body's 'second brain' - without damaging it.

28 Aug 2025

Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation shows promise for gastrointestinal disorders

Imbalanced autonomic function, characterized by reduced vagal activity and sympathetic dominance, is increasingly recognized in various gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.

27 Aug 2025

Creatine in your diet may benefit your digestive system

Findings suggest dietary creatine from meat may alleviate chronic constipation, with stronger effects observed in men and those without certain health issues.

4 Aug 2025

Body image concerns drive interest in GLP-1 weight loss drugs, study finds

A new study from Rutgers University links higher body dissatisfaction, BMI, and maladaptive weight loss behaviors with interest in GLP-1 medications for weight loss. Conversely, body appreciation appears to protect against this interest, especially in the face of potential side effects.

23 Apr 2025

New study challenges traditional view of functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis

Functional dyspepsia (FD) and gastroparesis (GP) are gastrointestinal disorders often managed as separate conditions.

18 Mar 2025

Researchers create an atlas of health associations for GLP-1 receptor agonists

Insights from a study on GLP-1 receptor agonists reveal benefits for cardiometabolic health, with notable risks for gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal issues.

20 Jan 2025

AI analysis of Reddit reveals public interest in GLP-1 drugs for weight loss and mental health benefits

Researchers analyzed over 391,000 Reddit discussions using AI to study public perceptions of GLP-1 RAs, finding high interest in weight loss, side effects, and access issues, with mostly neutral-to-positive sentiment.

14 Jul 2024

Tirzepatide outperforms semaglutide in weight loss for overweight and obese adults

Tirzepatide leads to significantly greater weight loss than semaglutide in overweight or obese adults, with no significant difference in gastrointestinal adverse effects.

10 Jul 2024

Key studies on GLP-1 drugs, alpha-gal syndrome, and liver disease medications to be presented at DDW 2024

Studies examining the risks of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, distinguishing alpha-gal syndrome from other GI disorders, and comparing medications to slow the progression of liver disease in patients with alcohol-use disorder will be presented this week at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024.

21 May 2024

Study evaluates the use of tirzepatide in overweight/obese adults with type 1 diabetes

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (DTT) evaluated the use of tirzepatide in overweight/obese adults with type 1 diabetes.

22 Mar 2024

GLP-1 weight loss drugs linked to heightened GI risks, says new study

Study from JAMA reveals that users of GLP-1 agonists, recent drugs for weight management, show a heightened risk of gastrointestinal complications like intestinal obstruction, gastroparesis, and pancreatitis. Though these effects are rare, those considering these drugs for weight loss should weigh the benefits against potential risks, especially if not using them for diabetes.

5 Oct 2023

GLP-1 agonists linked to higher risk for gastrointestinal complications

They're being hailed as an effective way to lose weight, but diabetes drugs like Ozempic may come with a heightened risk of severe gastrointestinal problems.