Medical expert of the article
New publications
Constipation is an early sign of Parkinson's disease?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
People who suffer from permanent or unstable constipation almost triple the risk of developing Parkinson's disease than people with normal defecation, according to a new study. Although constipation alone is not the cause of Parkinson's disease, long-standing problems with constipation may be the first signs of an organism's disorder, many authors write. Consider the relationship of constipation and Parkinson's disease.
Historical facts about Parkinson's disease
In 1817, when James Parkinson first described Parkinson's disease, he noted that constipation often had a connection with her. But this was the first study to admit that we may be able to find the first signs of Parkinson's disease by looking at symptoms such as constipation, says Robert d'Abbott, Ph.D., professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, in an interview with WebMD.
Investigation of the connection between Parkinson's disease and constipation
In a report published in the journal Neurology according to the Institute of Pacific Studies in Honolulu, long-term studies of about 7,000 men aged 51-75 living in Oahu in 96 participants developed Parkinson's disease during the 24-year observation period.
In the study, participants were provided with information on the frequency of their bowel movements, allowing researchers to see if there are constipation, a common feature of Parkinson's, can serve as an early sign of the disease.
They found that men who suffered from constipation were at a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease - 2.7 times more often than men with normal frequency and the nature of defecation. Namely - men with constipation were compared to men who, on average, had one bowel movement per day or more. In addition, the risk of developing Parkinson's disease decreased in the same way as the frequency of defecation.
Details on the effect of constipation
The results remained the same even when the researchers took into account other factors that could affect Parkinson's disease and the digestive functions of the system, including smoking, coffee, laxatives and consumption of fruits, vegetables and grains.
Michael Gershon, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Columbia University in New York, reports that certain signs of Parkinson's disease have been found in that part of the nervous system that controls bowel function.
- What can the results of observation offer ... People with constipation should know that it can be a manifestation of Parkinson's disease and that it manifests in the abdomen before it appears in the brain.
[Parkinson's disease is associated with the state of the intestine
The results of the last study also show that Parkinson's disease is not only associated with the brain, but it can also include the influence of other parts of the body, and this information could expand the medical approaches to understand how this disease develops.
Although constipation alone is not an accurate predictor of Parkinson's disease, it can be a useful indicator when considering the possibility of other risk factors, such as the family history of Parkinson's disease, or the first signs of weak bowel movement, Abbott's syndrome (constriction-causing constriction) .