Parkinson's disease is increasingly being diagnosed. In Poland, an estimated 70-100 000 patients with the condition have been diagnosed. A new study published in an American scientific journal indicates that one organ that may have a non-negligible impact on the development of Parkinson's disease is the appendix.

- Parkinson's disease is a multisystem disorder. Therefore, it is likely that the disease may arise due to a number of external factors, and the gastrointestinal tract is one of them , indicated the study's lead author, Viviane Labrie of the Van Andel Research Institute.

For the study, Viviane Labrie and her colleagues analysed the health data of 1.6 million people from Sweden. Analysis of the results allowed the researchers to conclude that patients who had their appendix removed were 19.3 per cent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.

The second part of the study, during which the authors analysed the results of 849 people with Parkinson's disease, showed that the removal of the appendix is associated with a delayed onset of the disease. On average by more than 3.5 years.

Parkinson's disease is not only hand tremor

Parkinson's disease is an incurable disease of the nervous system. Typical symptoms include tremor, fatigue, stiffness of the limbs and back, seizures, sleep problems, but also constipation. Non-mobility difficulties, however, can start as early as 20 years earlier.

- In the last decade, it has become clear that Parkinson's disease is not just a movement disorder. One of the most common non-motor symptoms of this disease is gastrointestinal disorders. Therefore, some researchers believe that the disease can develop there , Labrie said.

This is because the appendix contains the protein alpha-synuclein, which accumulates in the brain of a Parkinson's disease patient.

Alpha-synuclein is a protein whose function in the healthy brain is currently unknown. It is of great interest to Parkinson's disease researchers because it is a major component of Lewy bodies, clusters of proteins that are a hallmark of Parkinson's disease.

In recent years, alpha-synuclein has been the focus of many studies to characterise the role of the protein in Parkinson's disease. Nevertheless, it is still not fully understood how alpha-synuclein plays a direct role in Parkinson's disease.

- Alpha-synuclein is a protein that moves. It can move from neuron to neuron. Potentially, the protein from the gut can travel all the way to the wandering nerve that connects the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. In this way, alpha-synuclein can find its way into the brain, contributing to Parkinson's disease , says the researcher

Is it advisable to remove the appendix?

Although the study showed that the disease can start in the appendix, it is not advisable to remove this organ in a healthy person, as this can result in later bowel problemsand is only advisable as a last resort.