Poor Gut Health May Signal Parkinson's Onset

Long-term gut issues such as constipation and nausea may be early indicators of parkinson's disease, indicating the disorder could originate in the gut rather than the brain, as per a study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex ().

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It affects an estimated 8.5 million people worldwide; and is majorly characterised by tremors, stiffness, and loss of balance.

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The study found that a history of damage to the lining of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract has a 76 percent higher chance of developing Parkinson's.

Trisha S. Pasricha, a neurogastroenterologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in the US noted that science is yet to completely unravel how the gut exerts enormous influence on the brain.

Warning Sign for Parkinson's Disease

She said that decades before developing typical motor symptoms like difficulty walking or tremors, Parkinson's patients “experience GI symptoms like constipation and nausea for years”.

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To explore the "gut-first hypothesis", the team conducted a retrospective cohort study involving more than 10,000 patients who underwent an upper endoscopy (EGD) -- a procedure to image and diagnose problems in the esophagus, stomach, and first portion of the small intestine -- between the year 2000 and 2005.

After over 14 years, patients who suffered injuries to the lining of the upper GI tract, also called mucosal damage, showed a 76 percent higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

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The study highlights the necessity for heightened monitoring of these patients because it can open new avenues for early intervention and treatment strategies.

Understanding the link between mucosal damage and Parkinson's disease pathology may be crucial to finding early recognition of risk as well as potential intervention, Pasricha noted.

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