Nearly one million people in the U.S. are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and this number is expected to grow to 1.2 million by 2030. Parkinson’s is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s.
Recent research is offering new insights into how Parkinson’s may develop. Some scientists now believe that the disease might start in your gut and then spread to the brain.
This discovery is important because it could change how we think about and treat Parkinson’s in the future.
What Is the Appendix’s Role in Parkinson’s Disease Risk
Dr. Viviane Labrie and her team at the Van Andel Research Institute wanted to see if the gut, especially the appendix, triggers PD. While the appendix is often considered useless, it actually helps defend your body against microbes and manages bacteria in the intestines.
The team looked at health data from nearly 1.7 million people, with some tracked for up to 52 years. They compared the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease between those who had their appendix removed and those who hadn’t.
Appendectomy Linked to 19.3% Lower Parkinson’s Disease Risk
The researchers analyzed two large datasets: Sweden’s National Patient Registry (SNPR) and the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). The SNPR covers over 91 million person-years of data, while PPMI provides detailed information about PD, including age of onset and genetics.
The SNPR showed that having an appendectomy lowers the risk of developing Parkinson’s. So, according to the dataset, if you’ve had your appendix removed, your risk of developing PD might be 19.3% lower compared to those who still have their appendix.
The effect is even stronger if people live in a rural area, where the risk is reduced by 25.4%. Plus, if they did develop Parkinson’s, the disease might start later.
People who had their appendix removed at least 30 years before developing Parkinson’s saw an average delay of 3.6 years in the onset of the disease.
Protein Buildup Found Triggers Parkinson’s Disease
PD is linked to the buildup of a protein called α-synuclein, which can start building up in your digestive system.
The researchers used a special method to look for this protein and found it in the appendix of most people they studied. These protein clusters were found in different parts of the appendix, and they looked similar to the ones found in the brains of people with Parkinson’s.
Surprisingly, these clusters were found in both young people (under 20) and older individuals (ages 48-84). This protein buildup can lead to the development of Lewy bodies, a key sign of PD. These findings suggest the appendix might influence the risk of developing Parkinson’s.
Genetic & Environmental Factors
The researchers also looked at how the appendix interacts with genetic and environmental factors that affect PD risk.
They focused on people with a moderate family history of the disease (one or two affected family members). For these individuals, an appendectomy delayed the age of PD onset, but this didn’t happen for those without a family history.
The study also found that people carrying certain genetic mutations linked to familial PD didn’t see any benefit from having their appendix removed. This suggests that an appendectomy might be more helpful in protecting against environmental causes of the disease rather than genetic ones.
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Nancy Maffia
Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.