- Recently published research suggests certain gastrointestinal issues could be early warning signs of Parkinson’s disease.
- Researchers compared medical records of individuals who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s with individuals who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or cerebrovascular disease or none of those diseases.
- Their analyses suggest four gut conditions may be associated with a higher risk of later receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson’s.
Researchers say they are the first to provide “substantial observational evidence” that individuals diagnosed with certain digestive issues could predict the development of Parkinson’s disease.
After conducting statistical analyses, the researchers determined four gut conditions associated with Parkinson’s:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition. Its main symptoms are tremors, slow movement, and muscle stiffness.
The research appears in the journal Gut.
Researchers found that gastroparesis, dysphagia, and constipation were associated with a more than double increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. IBS without diarrhea was associated with a 17% higher risk.
Other gut issues, including IBS with diarrhea and diarrhea plus fecal incontinence, were also found to be more common among people later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease as well as people later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease.
Experts have considered constipation to be a potential risk factor for Parkinson’s disease “for a very long time,” according to study co-author Dr. Pankaj J. Pasricha, chair of the department of medicine at the Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale.
“This study adds to the list of GI conditions that could potentially be risk factors,” Dr. Pasricha told Medical News Today.
In their paper, the researchers also noted they found that appendectomy is associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s.
“People have suggested that a trigger may…
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