Systemic Connections Between Gastrointestinal and Metabolic Diseases: From Pathophysiology to Clinical Management

In recent years, the traditional boundaries between gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases have increasingly blurred. What was once seen as a set of isolated conditions is now recognized as a network of interconnected systemic disorders sharing common inflammatory, metabolic, and microbial pathways. Growing evidence demonstrates that gastrointestinal dysfunction—through mechanisms such as intestinal permeability, immune activation, and microbiome imbalance—can influence metabolic homeostasis and contribute to cardiometabolic and liver diseases.

The concept of the gut–metabolic axis has therefore emerged as a crucial paradigm in modern medicine, linking the gastrointestinal tract to multiple organs including the liver, pancreas, adipose tissue, and heart. Understanding this complex bidirectional communication not only provides insight into disease mechanisms but also opens new possibilities for precision diagnostics and targeted therapies.

The goal of this Research Topic is to deepen our understanding of the systemic interplay between gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases and to promote an integrative approach to their study and management. Despite major advances in both fields, current clinical practice often treats these conditions as separate entities, overlooking the shared molecular pathways—such as inflammation, oxidative stress, microbiota imbalance, and metabolic dysregulation—that link them.

Recent breakthroughs in multi-omics technologies, microbiome research, and systems biology have revealed novel mechanisms through which gut dysfunction contributes to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. However, the translation of these discoveries into clinical strategies remains limited.

This collection aims to bridge this gap by bringing together experimental, translational, and clinical studies that explore the gut–metabolic axis from multiple perspectives. By integrating insights from basic science, hepatology, endocrinology, and internal medicine, we seek to identify new diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and preventive interventions. Ultimately, this initiative aspires to foster collaboration among disciplines and to advance a holistic model of systemic health, where gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders are understood and managed as interconnected components of a single pathophysiological continuum.

This Research Topic aims to gather high-quality contributions that explore the systemic connections between gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases, bridging basic science and clinical practice. We welcome original research, reviews, and translational studies that investigate the shared molecular mechanisms, clinical correlations, and therapeutic implications of these intertwined disorders.

Potential areas of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Pathophysiological mechanisms linking gastrointestinal and metabolic dysfunction
• The role of the gut microbiota and its metabolites in systemic inflammation and metabolic regulation
• Epigenetic and molecular mediators of gut–metabolic interactions
• Novel biomarkers and diagnostic approaches integrating gastrointestinal and metabolic profiles
• Nutritional, lifestyle, and pharmacological interventions targeting the gut–metabolic axis
• Clinical management strategies for patients with overlapping gastrointestinal and metabolic condition

By bringing together experts in gastroenterology, hepatology, endocrinology, and internal medicine, this Topic aims to foster multidisciplinary dialogue and collaboration. We particularly encourage submissions that provide translational perspectives—from mechanistic insights at the molecular level to clinical implications and innovative therapeutic strategies.

Ultimately, this Research Topic seeks to redefine our understanding of gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases as multisystem conditions, encouraging an integrative approach to patient care. Through shared research and collaborative discussion, we aim to advance the field toward a more comprehensive vision of human health—one that recognizes the gut not merely as a digestive organ, but as a central hub for metabolic and systemic regulation.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Gut–metabolic axis, Systemic inflammation, Gastrointestinal–metabolic disorders, Multisystem interactions, Clinical Management, Pathophysiology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.