Scientists have suggested that Parkinson’s disease may start in the appendix, after a study found that people who had an appendectomy were less likely to develop the condition, according to The Telegraph.
Experts at the Mayo Clinic medical group in the US studied nearly 25,000 Parkinson’s patients to see whether bowel problems increase the risk of developing the condition, and compared them with healthy people.
While they found that issues such as constipation, difficulty swallowing or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, they were surprised to learn that appendectomy appeared to have a protective effect.
People who had their appendix removed were 52 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Excess may be a source of abnormal protein
The appendix is a four-inch, worm-shaped tube attached to the large intestine, and its function remains a mystery. Humans are able to live well without it.
Some scientists think it’s an evolutionary leftover from our ancestors who needed more help with digestion.
Others think they may be important to the immune system, and may act as a storehouse of healthy bacteria, which are released into the gut after an infection.
The new research suggested that the appendix may be a source of an unfolded protein called alpha-synuclein, which is implicated in Parkinson’s disease and can travel from the appendix to the central nervous system.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Tim Bartels, group leader at UCL’s Dementia Research UK Institute, said: “An interesting side point of the study is the ostensibly protective association of appendectomy with Parkinson’s disease, which in addition means that The appendix may be the root of the disease, which spreads throughout the gut – and eventually to the brain.”
“Because the latter association was within the range of possible observational bias, this needs to be validated further.”
Gut
Scientists now know that the brain communicates with the gut, and it has been hypothesized that neurological problems may stem from problems in the gut.
For the study, people with Parkinson’s disease were matched with a control group of similar age, gender and ethnicity to compare the frequency of bowel conditions listed in their electronic health record for an average of five years before their diagnosis.
The team also followed people with bowel diseases for five years to see if they developed Parkinson’s disease or other neurological disorders.
Gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and constipation were all associated with a more than double increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in the five years before diagnosis, while irritable bowel syndrome without diarrhea was associated with a 17 percent increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. .
Experts said that bowel problems may provide a useful early warning signal of neurological problems.
early detection opportunities
“The findings add additional weight to the growing evidence that problems such as constipation, difficulty swallowing and delayed gastric emptying may be early warning signs of Parkinson’s disease,” said Claire Bell, associate director of research at Parkinson’s Disease UK.
“It is interesting that people who had their appendix removed were less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, while the researchers note that gastroparesis is particularly likely to precede a Parkinson’s diagnosis in women and young adults,” she added.
Bell noted that understanding how and why gut problems arise in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease “can open up opportunities for early detection and treatment approaches that target the gut to improve symptoms and even slow or stop the progression of the condition.”
2023-08-27 11:58:38
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