Tokyo: A clinical trial has demonstrated that an existing constipation drug called lubiprostone helps slow the progression of chronic kidney disease, a Japanese research team announced. This breakthrough finding, published in the US journal Science Advances, marks the first time the drug's effect on maintaining renal function in humans has been documented.

According to Philippines News Agency, about one in eight adults in Japan is estimated to suffer from chronic kidney disease. As the disease advances, patients may require artificial dialysis, yet there is currently no available medication to improve kidney function. The research team, led by Tohoku University professor Takaaki Abe, theorized that constipation, which is prevalent among chronic kidney disease patients, disrupts the intestinal environment and consequently reduces renal function.

The clinical trial, conducted from 2016 to 2019, involved 118 patients experiencing moderate to severe kidney function decline. Participants were divided into two groups: one group received lubiprostone, while the other was given a placebo. Both groups were closely monitored over a 24-week period, allowing the researchers to observe the effects of the drug on kidney function.