Chronic Constipation

Research

Mayo Clinic researchers are continually investigating new treatment options for chronic constipation. For example, Mayo researchers are currently studying medications called 5-HT-4 agonists to treat chronic constipation. These medications stimulate secretion of fluids in the intestines, decreasing the time it takes for material to move through the colon and reducing constipation.

Mayo Clinic is also a leader in gastrointestinal motility research, which includes investigating new ways to diagnose and treat chronic constipation. Scientists in Mayo Clinic's Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiological Research Program are focused on gaining new knowledge about the molecular, cellular and physiological processes that control gastrointestinal motility and translating that knowledge into new therapies for people with those disorders.

In addition, Mayo Clinic's Department of Neurology is actively researching autonomic nerve disorders (dysautonomia), which can lead to chronic constipation. Recently, Mayo researchers have shown that medications called cholinesterase inhibitors improve constipation in people with autonomic neuropathy, including those who have diabetes.

For more information on digestive disease research at Mayo Clinic, see:

• A Giant in His Field: Michael Camilleri, M.D.
• Digestive Disease Research
• Serendipity Jumpstarts Research on Cells of Cajal

Publications

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic doctors about constipation on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.