Blood pressure drug may help reduce stomach issues for some with autism

At the University of Missouri, researchers are studying how a common medication can be repurposed to help improve gut health in people with autism. A new pilot study from Mizzou suggests that propranolol, a common blood pressure drug, may also help ease stomach issues for some people with autism.

Autistic individuals experience digestive challenges—such as bloating, constipation and diarrhea—at significantly higher rates than others. Since previous research has shown these gastrointestinal issues are linked with stress, anxiety and depression, Mizzou scientists are searching for new ways to address the underlying causes of discomfort to ultimately improve the quality of life for autistic individuals.

In 2023, Brad Ferguson, an assistant research professor with the School of Medicine, co-authored a study that found propranolol can be repurposed to reduce anxiety for people with autism. Recently, he led a new study to explore if the blood pressure drug might ease gastrointestinal distress among autistic individuals as well.

Ferguson’s latest study included 46 participants, all of whom receive care at Mizzou’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment. His pilot study found that autistic teens and young adults with higher heart rate variability—a sign of a calmer nervous system—showed more improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms after 12 weeks of taking propranolol compared to those with a more stressed nervous system.

“Our ultimate goal is to support precision medicine by finding out who can benefit from certain treatment options the most,” Ferguson said. “We found that propranolol seemed to work best for those whose nervous system was more relaxed.”

Going forward, Ferguson is partnering with Fang Wang from the College of Engineering to use a smartwatch app capable of monitoring stress levels and social activity in autistic people with and without gastrointestinal symptoms.

“The wealth of interdisciplinary experts we have here at Mizzou, combined with world-class facilities such as the Thompson Center, the School of Medicine and the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building, makes Mizzou the perfect place for this research,” Ferguson said.

“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 Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.