Ayble Health, a digital health platform for patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, announced today the launch of its novel Mind-Gut programme. The app-based programme guide users through skill-building exercises aimed at retraining the connection between the mind and gut to ease uncomfortable GI symptoms and improve the quality of life for the 70 million Americans who live with digestive health conditions.
The role of daily stress as a trigger for GI symptoms is well-established. Stress exacerbates gut inflammation, has a direct effect on gut motility, and can precipitate or worsen symptoms in disorders of gut-brain interaction like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In fact, mental health comorbidities frequently accompany GI diagnoses, underscoring the intricate link between our brain and digestive system. Studies show that up to 40% of people with chronic GI conditions also experience anxiety or depression, which is twice higher than the general population. More often than not, the GI condition itself becomes a main source of stress, worry, or mood changes, especially when symptoms don’t respond to pharmacological treatments.
GI psychologists play a pivotal role in understanding and addressing the intricate relationship between the mind and gut for digestive health patients. They use evidence-based therapeutic techniques with patients that lead to significant improvements in GI symptoms. However, there’s a dramatic shortage of GI-specialised mental health practitioners. By some estimates, fewer than 150 GI-specialised psychologists or social workers are actively practising in the United States today, exacerbating an accessibility crisis for those seeking integrated care. When patients face limited access and are placed on lengthy provider waitlists, innovative solutions like Ayble’s Mind-Gut program can fill the gap by offering essential skills and support in real time.
In an industry-first, each user’s journey with the Ayble program is personalised through artificial intelligence and expert health coach guidance. During the program, users are guided through evidence-based brain-gut behavioural therapy techniques including, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and gut-directed hypnosis. Through the combination of autonomic nervous system relaxation, gut-directed hypnosis, and skill-building exercises designed to reduce the mental health burden and quality of life impacts of gut symptoms, Ayble’s Mind-Gut program can retrain the miscommunication along the brain-gut axis and reduce gut symptoms like pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits.
Ayble’s Mind-Gut program seamlessly integrates with its nutrition program, offering digestive health patients a uniquely tailored, AI-powered, holistic care experience, making Ayble the most comprehensive digestive health program on the market.
‟Ayble is the first platform that combines the leading evidence-based brain-gut behavioural therapy techniques in a personalised manner, combined with coaching and nutrition program, provide the right intervention at the right time for each user,” said Sam Jactel, founder and CEO, Ayble. “One size truly fits none: through our comprehensive ecosystem of care, we’re empowering patients to reclaim control over their digestive symptoms.”
Available directly to consumers as well as through employers and health plans, the Ayble app not only drives improved outcomes for those with digestive health conditions, but lowers costs for both patients and the healthcare system.
“I’m proud to have played a role in developing Ayble’s Mind-Gut program. We designed it to be closely aligned with the treatment a patient would normally get with a GI psychologist,” said Tiffany Taft, chief psychologist at Oak Park Behavioural Medicine and Ayble advisor. “Rather than focusing on one specific brain-gut behavioural therapy approach, the app offers a variety of strategies that tend to be most effective with patients in real-world clinical practice.”
“The integration of Ayble’s Mind-Gut program with the existing diet program will bridge a massive gap that exists between integrated dietary and mental health care that is critical for a holistic approach to help those living with chronic digestive conditions,” said Dr Stephen Lupe, clinical health psychologist and director of Behavioural Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr Lupe also had a hand in developing the Ayble Mind-Gut program as one of the company’s trusted advisors.
Abyle’s mind-gut program is based on nearly 30 years of brain-gut psychophysiology research and the experiences of GI psychologists who deliver direct patient care, both in academic medical centres and the community. The Ayble app combines the most comprehensive GI behavioural health database in the world with proprietary machine learning algorithms to build personalised, predictive care for every person. Ayble’s 14 published studies (including a series of randomised controlled trials) show more than 84% of GI patients gain significant long-term symptom control by using both nutrition and psychotherapy through the Ayble platform. The Mind-Gut program’s efficacy surpasses traditional in-person psychological support.
Ayble is the first and only gastroenterology company accredited by the American Nutrition Association and the Validation Institute. In its outcomes report, the Institute highlighted that Ayble Health’s precision nutrition program is 2x more effective than in-person or virtual dietetics and drives 40% better adherence to recommendations.
