A new study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that people with a history of damage to the lining of their upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as ulcers, have a 76% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
This research provides new insights into how Parkinson’s might begin in some people and highlights the need for increased awareness among those with GI issues.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the brain and leads to problems with movement, such as tremors and difficulty walking.
It affects about 8.5 million people worldwide, and the number of cases has more than doubled in the last 30 years.
Researchers believe that, in some cases, Parkinson’s may start in the gut before affecting the brain.
According to Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a neurogastroenterologist at BIDMC, many people who eventually develop Parkinson’s first experience gastrointestinal symptoms, like constipation or nausea, sometimes years before motor symptoms appear.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, examined patient data from an electronic database that included both hospital and outpatient care.
The researchers looked at patients who had an upper endoscopy (EGD) between 2000 and 2005.
An upper endoscopy is a procedure that helps doctors see the inside of the esophagus, stomach, and part of the small intestine, which make up the upper GI tract.
The study compared two groups: one group of 2,338 patients with upper GI mucosal damage (such as ulcers), and another group of 8,955 patients without such damage.
The researchers followed these patients until July 2023 to see if they developed Parkinson’s disease.
The results showed that 2.2% of those with GI damage were later diagnosed with Parkinson’s, compared to only 0.5% of those without such damage.
On average, it took about 14 years after the GI damage was detected for Parkinson’s to develop.
After adjusting for other factors, the researchers concluded that people with a history of GI damage have a 76% higher chance of getting Parkinson’s than those without. This discovery highlights the importance of closely monitoring people with upper GI damage for signs of Parkinson’s.
Dr. Pasricha emphasized that understanding the connection between GI damage and Parkinson’s could help identify those at risk earlier and potentially lead to new ways of preventing the disease.
She also pointed out that conditions like ulcers, which affect millions of people worldwide, are often linked to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. As NSAID use is widespread, recognizing this connection may be crucial for early detection and intervention.
This study opens new avenues for understanding Parkinson’s disease and its possible origins in the gut.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how wheat gluten might be influencing our brain health, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
Source: KSR.
