New study finds Parkinson’s disease may begin in the gut

BOSTON – A new study finds Parkinson’s disease may begin in the gut. Scientists have been interested in this possible link for some time.

According to the experts, many people who have Parkinson’s disease had GI symptoms like constipation and nausea for years before developing the motor symptoms characteristic of Parkinson’s, such as trouble walking or tremors.

A new study in JAMA Network Open finds that damage to the lining of the upper GI tract could put people at higher risk of Parkinson’s.

Scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center followed more than 10,000 patients and found that those with ulcers, acid reflux, or damage to the stomach lining from anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen were 76% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.

They say recognizing the role the gut may play in Parkinson’s could help doctors identify patients at risk and potentially intervene to help reduce that risk. 

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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