Researchers say Parkinson’s disease risk linked to gut health

New research shows that gut health is linked to a common neurological condition.

People with damage to the upper lining of their gastrointestinal tract have a 76 percent higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to research led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston.

The findings were published September 5 in JAMA Network Open.

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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, within the Mass General Brigham system between 2000 and 2005.

New research shows that gut health is linked to a common neurological condition. (iStock)

Research showed that people with ‘damage to the mucous membranes’ were at increased risk.

The study found that Parkinson’s disease is diagnosed on average 14.2 years after the damage is discovered.

Mucosa, also called the mucous membrane, is the “soft tissue that lines the ducts and organs of the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.

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“When I ask my patients with Parkinson’s disease, they often say, ‘Come to think about it, yes, I had severe constipation or nausea years before anyone diagnosed me with Parkinson’s,’” lead study author Trisha Pasricha, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Fox News Digital.

“We now know that these types of intestinal complaints can be a precursor to 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. Earnest Lee Murray, a certified neurologist from Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee, was not involved in the study, but confirmed that gastrointestinal dysfunction is common in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

“Motor symptoms, such as stiffness, tremors and difficulty walking, are the stereotypical features of Parkinson’s disease,” Murray said.

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“However, there are also several non-motor symptoms that are often seen. The most common are gastrointestinal dysfunction, particularly constipation and difficulty swallowing.”

These gastrointestinal symptoms can occur years before the motor symptoms, the neurologist said.

Patients with ‘damage to the mucous membranes’ appeared to be at increased risk, the researchers found. (iStock)

“Given the prominent role of early gastrointestinal problems in Parkinson’s disease, there is a theory suggesting 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 for the ‘gut-first’ theory.”

Causes and prevention of upper gastrointestinal damage

There are many factors that can cause damage to the mucous membrane, Pasricha says.

“These include the use of NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, alcohol use, stress or bacteria such as H. pylori,” she said.

“In our study, we only examined people whose stomach complaints were so severe that they wanted to have an endoscopy to determine the cause. However, we all suffer minor damage to the intestinal wall during our lives, for various reasons.”

According to a neurologist, gastrointestinal complaints can occur years before motor complaints, such as tremors and stiffness. (iStock)

It’s not clear how this frequent, smaller damage affects the risk of Parkinson’s disease, the doctor noted.

“Still, I advise my patients – regardless of their risk for neurological disease – that minimizing NSAIDs, reducing stress and reducing alcohol consumption will only help their gut health,” she added.

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As Murray noted, Parkinson’s disease is caused by a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which leads to slowed muscle movement, stiffness and tremors. In addition, the disease affects the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract.

According to a neurologist, Parkinson’s disease is caused by a deficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which leads to slowed muscle movements, stiffness and tremors. In addition, the disease also affects the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract. (iStock)

“As the study authors point out, we don’t know whether the damage to the gastrointestinal tissue causes a decrease in dopamine or whether the destruction of the gastrointestinal tissue is the first sign of a dopamine problem that eventually leads to the more stereotypical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,” he told Fox News Digital.

Potential limitations of the study

While the study shows a “strong association” between upper gastrointestinal injury and later development of Parkinson’s disease, Pasricha noted that the mechanisms leading to this effect are not yet known.

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The researchers noted that the study did not include cases of Parkinson’s diagnosed outside the Mass General Brigham system.

“The connection between the brain and the gut is actually a two-way street.”

Due to the small sample size in the study – and the risk of “confounding variables” that could introduce some degree of bias – the research team called for additional studies to confirm the link.

“The brain-gut connection is actually a two-way street,” Pasricha says.

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“The gut can exert a tremendous influence on the brain in ways we are only just beginning to understand. But once we understand this, we may open new avenues for early intervention and treatment strategies for many diseases.”

The research was funded by grants from the National Institute on Aging, the American Gastroenterological Association and Harvard University.