2023-08-28 12:00:00
167,000. This is the number of people affected by Parkinson’s disease in France. Recently, researchers from the Mayo Clinic Arizona (USA) revealed that certain intestinal problems could announce the appearance of this neurodegenerative pathology. To reach this conclusion, they carried out a study, the results of which were published in the journal Gut.
As part of the work, the scientists used information from a US national network of medical records. More specifically, they compared the data of 24,624 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease of unknown cause with those of adults suffering from other neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, or having received none of these diagnoses.
Four gut disorders linked to higher risk of Parkinson’s disease
After a five-year follow-up, the team observed a clear link between several gastrointestinal disorders and an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Indeed, gastroparesis (delayed emptying of the stomach), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and constipation were all associated with a twice as high risk of suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Irritable bowel syndrome was also linked to a 17% higher risk.
Other bowel problems, such as functional dyspepsia (burning sensation or fullness in the stomach with no obvious cause) and diarrhea with faecal incontinence, were also more common in patients who developed Parkinson’s disease. Surprisingly, removing the appendix seemed to have a protective effect, reducing the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Constipation, dysphagia, gastroparesis: sufferers must remain vigilant
“This study is the first to establish observational evidence that the clinical diagnosis of not only constipation, but also dysphagia, gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome could specifically predict the development of Parkinson’s disease. These results support vigilance for gastrointestinal symptoms in patients at high risk for Parkinson’s disease and underscore the need for further investigation of intestinal disorders in Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease”, concluded the authors in a statement.
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