The use of drug prucalopride showed two- to three-fold improvement in bowel movements in the people with severe, chronic constipation – articulated two studies released on Wednesday.

In the studies published in May 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Michael Camilleri of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues tested 620 volunteers who had fewer than two spontaneous bowel movements per week.

In one study, the researchers found that 47.3 percent of the people who took 2 milligrams a day of prucalopride for 12 weeks had three or more bowel movements a week, compared to 25.8 percent of those given a placebo. The success rate for people given 4 milligrams a day of prucalopride was slightly lower, at 46.6 percent. The researchers found that the drug can help people with constipation caused by painkillers used mainly in cancer patients.

According to researchers, the results of Prucalopride, 5-HT4 receptor agonist, which Belgium-based Movetis NV plans to market in Europe under the brand name Resolor, were better than with similar medications available in the past.

Two drugs that act in the same way as prucalopride were taken off the market, because they caused heart problems, but there was no indication of such problems in the newly reported study.

Dr. Michael Camilleri, lead author of the study and a gastroenterologist & professor of medicine and physiology at the Mayo Clinic, reported that chronic constipation affects 15 percent of the U.S. population -- as many as 50 percent of the elderly. Camilleri explained, "People have constipation because the nerves are not working well. These people, on average, had one bowel movement every two weeks." "The results (of Prucalopride) were better than with similar medications available in the past," Camilleri said.