A new study links gut health to a common neurological disorder.
76% more likely to be among those who have damage to the upper lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract Parkinson’s diseaseAccording to research conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) In Boston,
The findings were published Sept. 5 in JAMA Network Open .
The study included 9,350 patients (average age 52) who underwent upper endoscopy — a procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine — at the Mass General Brigham system between 2000 and 2005.
A new study links gut health to a common neurological disorder. (iStock)
The researchers found that people who had “mucosal damage” had a higher risk.
The study found that Parkinson’s disease was diagnosed an average of 14.2 years after the impairment was detected.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, mucosa, also known as mucous membrane, is the “soft tissue that lines the body’s tubes and organs of the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems.”
“When asked, many of my patients say Parkinson’s disease “I would say, ‘Thinking about it, yes, I started having really bad constipation or nausea years before I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,'” she told Fox News Digital. ” ” Trisha Pasricha, MD, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a statement.
“We now know that visceral symptoms like these indicate a future diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.”
The study included 9,350 patients who underwent upper endoscopy, a procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine. (iStock)
Dr. Ernest Lee Murray, Board-Certified Neurologist Dr. Michael Schmidt of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, was not involved in the study but confirmed that gastrointestinal disorders are very common in Parkinson’s patients.
“Motor symptoms, such as stiffness, tremors and difficulty walking, are common symptoms of Parkinson’s,” Murray said.
“However, there are a number of non-motor symptoms that are frequently seen, the most common being gastrointestinal disordersParticularly constipation and difficulty swallowing.”
The neurologist stated that these gastrointestinal symptoms may appear several years before the motor symptoms.
The researchers found that patients who had “mucosal damage” had a higher risk. (iStock)
“Given the prominence of early gastrointestinal problems in Parkinson’s disease, one theory suggests that the pathology that causes Parkinson’s disease may originate in the gastrointestinal tract and travel to the brain via the vagus nerve,” Murray said.
“This study provides additional evidence to the ‘gut-first’ theory.”
Causes and prevention of upper GI damage
Many factors can damage the mucosal lining, Pasricha said.
“These include NSAIDs like ibuprofen“This infection can be caused by drinking alcohol, stress or bacteria like H. pylori,” he said.
“Our study only examined people whose abdominal symptoms were so severe that they sought an upper endoscopy to investigate the cause, but we all experience small amounts of damage to our gut lining for various reasons at some point in our lives.”
One neurologist reported that gastrointestinal symptoms may appear years before motor symptoms, such as tremors and rigidity. (iStock)
The doctor said it’s not clear how repeated small injuries affect Parkinson’s risk.
“Still, I recommend to my patients — regardless of their risk of any neurological disease — that they keep NSAIDs to a minimum, edge off “Reducing alcohol intake will improve their gut health,” he added.
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As Murray explained, Parkinson’s disease is caused by a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine — which causes slow muscle movements, stiffness and tremors — and is also linked to the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract.
A neurologist explained that Parkinson’s disease is caused by a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine – which causes slow muscle movement, stiffness and tremors – and is also linked to the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract. (iStock)
“As the study authors pointed out, we don’t know whether damage to GI tissue causes a decrease in dopamine or whether the destruction of GI tissue is an early sign of dopamine problems that eventually lead to the typical symptoms of Parkinson’s,” he told Fox News Digital.
Potential Study Limitations
Although the study found a “strong association” between injury to the upper gastrointestinal tract and later development of Parkinson’s disease, Pasricha said the mechanisms that lead to this effect are not yet known.
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The study did not include cases of Parkinson’s that were diagnosed outside the hospital. Mass General Brigham Researchers said that this system is very complex.
“The brain-gut connection is actually a two-way street.”
Because of the small sample size in the study — and the risk of “confounding variables” that could introduce bias into a measure of variance — the research team Additional Studies To confirm affiliation.
“The brain-gut connection is really a two-way street,” Pasricha said.
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“The gut may have a huge influence on the brain that we are still beginning to understand — but when we do, we will be able to open new avenues for early intervention and treatment strategies for many diseases.”
This study was funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging, the American Gastroenterological Association, and Harvard University.
