According to statistics, approximately 80% of patients with Parkinson's disease experience digestive symptoms many years before the onset of tremors and stiffness. One of the main symptoms of gastrointestinal problems is constipation. Scientists believe that gastrointestinal changes underlie the development of Parkinson's disease, rather than being a consequence of it, according to the website News Medical.
The review data demonstrates that Parkinson's disease may progress from the bottom up along the brain-gut axis: pathological processes first develop in the gut and only then affect the brain. For example, excess alpha-synuclein protein is detected in the nervous system years before the first movement disorders appear. These data support the idea that neurodegeneration may begin outside the brain.
Furthermore, disturbances in the gut microbiota are known to occur in Parkinson's disease. Patients often experience decreased levels of beneficial bacteria and an increase in pro-inflammatory strains. Furthermore, a deficiency of short-chain fatty acids can compromise the integrity of the intestinal mucosa, allowing inflammatory agents to penetrate the bloodstream and reach the nerve tissue.
Finally, chronic gastrointestinal disorders are associated with systemic inflammation, an additional risk factor for the development and progression of Parkinson's disease.
Overall, the meta-analysis highlights the importance of diagnosing and monitoring gut function in patients at risk for neurodegeneration. Active research is currently underway to study the effectiveness of microbiota transplantation from healthy donors to patients to slow the progression of neurodegeneration.
In another study, scientists previously discovered that changes in immune cells may be another early sign of Parkinson's disease. These changes can also be detected years before the first symptoms.
