New Delhi: According to a study, poor gut health, such as constipation and nausea, may be a potential indicator of Parkinson’s disease. This finding challenges the traditional belief that the disease originates in the brain.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological ailment that progresses over time. It affects around 8.5 million individuals globally and is defined primarily by tremors, stiffness, and loss of balance.
According to the study, which was published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, having a history of upper GI tract lining injury increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by 76%.
Trisha S. Pasricha, a neurogastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) in the United States, stated that science has yet to fully understand how the gut exerts a huge influence on the brain.
She stated that people living with Parkinson’s ‘experience GI symptoms like constipation and nausea for years’ before experiencing typical motor symptoms such as trouble walking, muscle rigidity, and tremors.
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To investigate the ‘gut-first hypothesis,’ which suggests that Parkinson’s disease may originate in the gut and then spread to the brain, the team conducted a retrospective cohort study involving over 10,000 patients who had an upper endoscopy (EGD) between 2000 and 2005.
After nearly 14 years, patients who sustained lesions to the lining of the upper GI tract, a condition known as mucosal injury which can be caused by factors such as inflammation or infection, exhibited a 76% increased chance of acquiring Parkinson’s disease.
The study underscores the potential for early intervention and treatment options by highlighting the importance of increased surveillance of patients with mucosal injury, as it can lead to new opportunities for managing Parkinson’s disease.
Pasricha emphasised that understanding the link between mucosal injury and Parkinson’s disease pathology could be critical to early risk detection and intervention, underscoring the study’s practical implications.
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–IANS
