Constipation link to Parkinson's
14 December 2009
New research published in the journal Neurology
reveals that people with a history of constipation may be at
increased risk of developing Parkinson's in later life.
The study at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, USA found that a
history of constipation is much more common for people with
Parkinson's, compared to those who do not have the condition.
What the researchers did
The research team compared the constipation history of 196 men
and women who developed Parkinson's at an average age of 71 years,
to 196 people without Parkinson's of similar age and gender.
Roughly 36% of the Parkinson's patients had a history of
constipation compared to only 20% of people without
Parkinson's.
This closely matches our 2007 members'
survey of over 13,000 people with Parkinson's, where 38% of
respondents reported having problems with constipation before being
diagnosed with Parkinson's.
The earliest signs of Parkinson's
Parkinson's affects not only the parts of the brain that
co-ordinate movements, but also disrupts areas that control things
like digestion, saliva control, sleep and bowel function.
Parkinson's is now thought to develop gradually over many years,
and the very earliest signs are often not related to movement.
Many people with Parkinson's mention difficulties with
deteriorating handwriting, depression, sleep disturbances, anxiety,
and a loss of sense of smell for years before a formal diagnosis is
made.
Developing more accurate ways for earlier diagnosis
Dr Kieran Breen, our Director of Research and Development
comments:
"Chronic problems with things like constipation and sleep can be
caused by many other things. So although they can help us to
understand the very earliest stages of the condition, we must
develop more accurate ways to diagnose Parkinson's earlier.
"Our Monument Discovery Award is
working to develop ways to identify people at greater risk of
developing Parkinson's before the main movement symptoms occur.
"Early diagnosis combined with treatments that can slow or stop
the progression of Parkinson's will be central to finding a
cure."
Find out more
More than a movement disorder - audio interview
Listen to Professor Ray Chaudhuri discuss why Parkinson's is
more than a movement disorder.
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