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Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders

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Gastrointestinal or GI motility disorders are characterized by irregular gastrointestinal tract movements, disrupting food transit from the mouth to the anus. They are caused by damage or dysfunction in gut muscles or nerves. These disorders can cause symptoms such as severe constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and swallowing difficulties. Disorders can affect any segment of the GI tract and range widely in severity, from common conditions like GERD to life-threatening conditions like...

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Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Gastrointestinal Motility Monitor GIMM

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Published on: December 1, 2010

GASTROINTESTINAL MOTILITY DISORDERS IN OBESITY.

I Miron¹, D L Dumitrascu²

¹"Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 3 Medical Clinic, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Acta Endocrinologica (Bucharest, Romania : 2005)

|May 8, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Obesity alters gastrointestinal (GI) motility, affecting digestion and absorption. Key changes include increased reflux, slowed gastric emptying, and constipation, influenced by the gut-brain axis.

Keywords:

GERD constipation gastrointestinal motility gastroparesis obesity

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Area of Science:

Gastroenterology
Obesity Research
Physiology

Background:

Obesity significantly impacts gastrointestinal (GI) motility, crucial for digestion and nutrient absorption.
This review systematically examines alterations in GI motility throughout the entire GI tract in obese individuals.

Discussion:

Obesity is linked to increased gastroesophageal reflux disease and inhibited gastric motility.
Distal small bowel transit slows, potentially enhancing digestion and absorption.
Constipation is more prevalent in obese individuals compared to normal-weight populations.

Key Insights:

The gut-brain axis, involving neural, hormonal, microbial, and cytokine signaling, is central to GI motility disorders in obesity.
Complex molecular mechanisms underlie obesity-associated GI motility changes.

Outlook:

Current findings provide a foundation for further research into the intricate relationship between obesity and GI motility dysfunction.
Understanding these mechanisms is vital for developing targeted therapeutic strategies.