MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digbi Health today released a real-world study of nearly 16,000 members of its precision biology program, which personalizes nutrition and lifestyle care to each person's gut microbiome, genetics, and glucose response. Among members followed for 12 weeks, i more than half of symptomatic members improved by at least 50 points, the benchmark for a clinically meaningful change. The study is posted as a preprint on medRxiv.
The study
Digbi Health scientists analyzed 15,933 members who completed a baseline assessment on the IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), a validated 500-point measure, and tracked change at 4, 12 and 26 weeks. Single-arm studies of digital health programs tend to overstate improvement, because people often enroll when symptoms peak and would improve somewhat regardless. The authors corrected for that bias, known as regression to the mean, and tested the result against missing follow-up data, medication use, and the start of GLP-1 therapy.
Findings
- 47.7-point average reduction in IBS-SSS at 12 weeks, after correction
- 53.8% of symptomatic members (720 of 1,339) improved by at least 50 points
- Response rose with severity: 41% of mild, 59% of moderate, and 71% of severe cases
- Improvement in every age, sex, income, and ethnicity subgroup tested
- Results not explained by medication use or by starting a GLP-1 drug
Within each member's own record, more nutrient-dense meals tracked with lower symptom scores, while weight change showed no association. The finding suggests that food quality, matched to a person's biology, matters more for gut symptoms than weight loss.
Why it matters
Most IBS care starts with a list of foods to avoid and proceeds by trial and error. Digbi starts with biology. Its gut microbiome panel now reads the genes of a member's gut bacteria, including species that produce dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) enzymes, which break down GLP-1, the hormone that GLP-1 medicines mimic. That gives clinicians a direct view of the chemistry behind a member's symptoms and links GI care to Digbi's GLP-1 care. Employers and health plans contract for a single program that covers metabolic, GI, inflammatory, and hormonal care through one care team.
"IBS has been managed for decades with lists of foods to avoid and a lot of guesswork. Precision Biology replaces the guesswork. When we read a person's genes, gut microbiome and glucose response, we address what is actually driving their symptoms, and the relief holds up under the most conservative evaluation." — Ranjan Sinha, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Digbi Health
The study was conducted by Digbi Health scientists and has not yet been peer reviewed. The preprint is available on medRxiv: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.01.26364558
About Digbi Health
Digbi Health is the precision biology care company unifying metabolic and inflammatory care — including obesity, cardiometabolic, gastrointestinal, and inflammatory disorders. These illnesses share a root cause: a mismatch between an individual's biology and the one-size-fits-all lifestyle guidance they've been given.
Digbi combines the gut microbiome, genetics, advanced blood biomarkers, and continuous digital health data to build a unique biological profile for each individual and identify what is driving their disease. AI then personalizes lifestyle treatment and, when needed, clinical treatment, delivered through the first precision-biology AI-orchestrated national telehealth platform.
Through Digbi Labs, we invest in our vision of making chronic illness optional and advancing healthspan — partnering with leading universities, pharmaceutical companies, and scientific and clinical laboratories, running distributed human trials and publishing peer-reviewed research on genetics, the gut microbiome, and the use of AI to deliver care that is safe, cost-effective, and accessible.
Digbi's healthcare cost reduction is documented in multiple peer-reviewed actuarial claims studies. Digbi is accessible to 30 million individuals through more than 300 employers and health plans.
Media Contact
Aniiket Sengar VP Marketing Operations aniiket@digbihealth.com
