[ad_1]
<div _ngcontent-c14 = "" innerhtml = "
Your appendix is attached to the beginning of your large intestine or colon. (Photo: Getty Images)
In the part that is your body, your appendix may seem to be a wallflower. After all, you may not notice your schedule until it is ignited. Then it can be quickly deleted. If not, what is actually a pocket of your large intestine?
Well, a study just appeared in Translational medicine science suggests that the appendix may have more than just the eye. Could the microscopic results in the appendix be related to the cause of Parkinson's disease?
As you may know, Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the nervous system that possibly affects the ability to move different parts of the body. Symptoms include tremors or tremors, muscle stiffness, slow movement, balance problems, and difficulty speaking and writing, and may worsen over time. These symptoms appear to result from the progressive loss of brain nerve cells that produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help transmit electrical signals from one nerve cell to the other. The loss of neurotransmitters disrupts these electrical signals and the movements they regulate. Actors Alan Alda and Michael J. Fox, as well as singers Neil Diamond and Linda Ronstadt, raised public awareness of Parkinson's by making their diagnoses public.
Researchers are still trying to discover the causes of Parkinson's disease and this latest study offers potential clues. Although lesions of Parkinson's disease seem to occur in the brain, the research team led by Bryan Killinger and Viviane Labrie of The Van Andel Research Institute of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has launched into the intestine. They wanted to further explore the theory that Parkinson's disease can start in the intestine and eventually reach the brain.
How was this theory born? Gastrointestinal symptoms as constipation can occur relatively early in Parkinson's disease. In addition, cutting the vagus nerve was a treatment for stomach ulcers. The vagus connects the intestine to the brain. It has been observed that people who have undergone such vagotomies seem to have a lower probability of possibly developing Parkinson's syndrome.. But again, the link between the gut and the brain for Parkinson's disease is still a theory without enough scientific evidence.
This new study actually had three parts. The first part consisted of analyzing data from the Swedish National Register of Patients (SNPR) and Statistics Sweden on 1.698 million people followed for a period of up to 52 years. Of these, 551,647 had an appendectomy at some point in their lives. These people were 19.3% less likely to eventually develop Parkinson's disease than those who had never had their appendix removed and 16.9% less likely than the general population. For those who ended up developing Parkinson's disease. Of the people who had an appendectomy, 1.17 out of every 1,000 people were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, compared to 1.4 out of every 1,000 in the general population.
The second part of the study included analysis of data on 849 cases of Parkinson's disease from the Parkinson's Progress Markers Initiative (PPMI). Those who had had an appendectomy at least 30 years before diagnosis tended to develop Parkinson's disease at an older age, on average 3.6 years later than those who had never had a appendectomy.
The third part of the study took appendix samples of 48 people without Parkinson's disease and used immunohistochemistry to look for a protein called α-synuclein. Previous studies have revealed accumulations of this protein in nigra, a part of the brain that helps control body movement in people with Parkinson's disease. Indeed, the research team responsible for this study found collections of α-synuclein in the tissues of the appendix of the sample. In addition, the team found that the amount of α-synuclein was increased in 6 appendix samples from patients with Parkinson's disease.
Here is a 3D illustration showing neurons containing Lewy bodies, small red spheres that are accumulated protein deposits (alpha-synuclein) in brain cells. (Photo: Getty Images)
Are these findings of the study strong enough for you to undergo an appendectomy simply to prevent Parkinson's disease? Absolutely not. This study does not even prove that the appendix has any connection with Parkinson's disease. The first two parts of the study simply showed correlations or associations. And as I have said many times, associations do not prove cause and effect. Remember, there is a "donkey" in the associations if you believe that they do it. People who are more likely to have an appendectomy may have environmental situations or life histories that are very different from those who do not.
With regard to the third part of the study, the role of A-synuclein in Parkinson's disease is still unknown. Can it somehow cause damage in Parkinson's disease or could it be a by-product? There is always a chance that it is only a spectator. More research is needed to know.
This study points out that the links between the intestines and the rest of the body are probably more complex than we realize. Having your head in the air "you know what" may not be just a saying. Your brain and your intestines are connected in different ways. And your intestines do not look like a tube of toothpaste. They can play many complex roles, ranging from regulating your metabolism to helping your immune system. This makes it all the more important what you put in your mouth, whether it's food, drinks, medications or smart phones. Stay tuned because this study is only beginning to get into the bowels of Parkinson's research.
">
Your appendix is attached to the beginning of your large intestine or colon. (Photo: Getty Images)
In the part that is your body, your appendix may seem to be a wallflower. After all, you may not notice your schedule until it is ignited. Then it can be quickly deleted. If not, what is actually a pocket of your large intestine?
Well, a study just appeared in Translational medicine science suggests that the appendix may have more than just the eye. Could the microscopic results in the appendix be related to the cause of Parkinson's disease?
As you may know, Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the nervous system that possibly affects the ability to move different parts of the body. Symptoms include tremors or tremors, muscle stiffness, slow movement, balance problems, and difficulty speaking and writing, and may worsen over time. These symptoms appear to result from the progressive loss of brain nerve cells that produce a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help transmit electrical signals from one nerve cell to the other. The loss of neurotransmitters disrupts these electrical signals and the movements they regulate. Actors Alan Alda and Michael J. Fox, as well as singers Neil Diamond and Linda Ronstadt, raised public awareness of Parkinson's by making their diagnoses public.
Researchers are still trying to discover the causes of Parkinson's disease and this latest study offers potential clues. Although lesions of Parkinson's disease seem to occur in the brain, the research team led by Bryan Killinger and Viviane Labrie of The Van Andel Research Institute of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has launched into the intestine. They wanted to further explore the theory that Parkinson's disease can start in the intestine and eventually reach the brain.
How was this theory born? Gastrointestinal symptoms as constipation can occur relatively early in Parkinson's disease. In addition, cutting the vagus nerve was a treatment for stomach ulcers. The vagus connects the intestine to the brain. It has been observed that people who have undergone such vagotomies seem to have a lower probability of possibly developing Parkinson's syndrome.. But again, the link between the gut and the brain for Parkinson's disease is still a theory without enough scientific evidence.
This new study actually had three parts. The first part consisted of analyzing data from the Swedish National Register of Patients (SNPR) and Statistics Sweden on 1.698 million people followed for a period of up to 52 years. Of these, 551,647 had an appendectomy at some point in their lives. These people were 19.3% less likely to eventually develop Parkinson's disease than those who had never had their appendix removed and 16.9% less likely than the general population. For those who ended up developing Parkinson's disease. Of the people who had an appendectomy, 1.17 out of every 1,000 people were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, compared to 1.4 out of every 1,000 in the general population.
The second part of the study included analysis of data on 849 cases of Parkinson's disease from the Parkinson's Progress Markers Initiative (PPMI). Those who had had an appendectomy at least 30 years before diagnosis tended to develop Parkinson's disease at an older age, on average 3.6 years later than those who had never had a appendectomy.
The third part of the study took appendix samples of 48 people without Parkinson's disease and used immunohistochemistry to look for a protein called α-synuclein. Previous studies have revealed accumulations of this protein in nigra, a part of the brain that helps control body movement in people with Parkinson's disease. Indeed, the research team responsible for this study found collections of α-synuclein in the tissues of the appendix of the sample. In addition, the team found that the amount of α-synuclein was increased in 6 appendix samples from patients with Parkinson's disease.
Here is a 3D illustration showing neurons containing Lewy bodies, small red spheres that are accumulated protein deposits (alpha-synuclein) in brain cells. (Photo: Getty Images)
Are these findings of the study strong enough for you to undergo an appendectomy simply to prevent Parkinson's disease? Absolutely not. This study does not even prove that the appendix has any connection with Parkinson's disease. The first two parts of the study simply showed correlations or associations. And as I have said many times, associations do not prove cause and effect. Remember, there is a "donkey" in the associations if you believe that they do it. People who are more likely to have an appendectomy may have environmental situations or life histories that are very different from those who do not.
With regard to the third part of the study, the role of A-synuclein in Parkinson's disease is still unknown. Can it somehow cause damage in Parkinson's disease or could it be a by-product? There is always a chance that it is only a spectator. More research is needed to know.
This study points out that the links between the intestines and the rest of the body are probably more complex than we realize. Having your head in the air "you know what" may not be just a saying. Your brain and your intestines are connected in different ways. And your intestines do not look like a tube of toothpaste. They can play many complex roles, ranging from regulating your metabolism to helping your immune system. This makes it all the more important what you put in your mouth, whether it's food, drinks, medications or smart phones. Stay tuned because this study is only beginning to get into the bowels of Parkinson's research.
