Study links digestive issues to 76 per cent higher Parkinson’s risk

DIGESTIVE problems, such as ulcers in the food pipe or stomach, could raise the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 76 per cent, according to a recent study.

Researchers analysed endoscopy reports from 9,350 patients and found that those with upper gastrointestinal conditions—particularly ulcers or damage to the lining of the oesophagus, stomach, or upper small intestine—had a significantly higher chance of developing Parkinson’s later in life.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open. The researchers noted that this adds to growing evidence that neurodegenerative diseases, typically thought to start in the brain, might begin in the gut.

Gastrointestinal issues are already known to be common among patients with neurodegenerative disorders, the study's authors said.

The team from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US noted that digestive issues often appear up to two decades before Parkinson’s symptoms like tremors or stiffness, which are usually used to diagnose the disease.

These digestive symptoms can include constipation, drooling, difficulty swallowing, and delayed stomach emptying.

Constipation and swallowing difficulties were highlighted as particularly strong risk factors, associated with more than double the risk of Parkinson’s.

The researchers suggested that problems in regulating dopamine, a key brain chemical involved in digestion, could be one biological link between gastrointestinal issues and Parkinson’s risk.

They also proposed that gastrointestinal conditions could trigger the accumulation of the protein alpha-synuclein, which is associated with Parkinson’s in the brain.

The team added that future research is needed to better understand these connections.

(With inputs from PTI)