Having Your #Appendix Removed Could Lower Your Risk Of #Parkinson’s Disease By 20%
It may be painful, but there could be an unusual upside to appendicitis: Those who have had their appendix removed are 20% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to a new analysis of more than 1 million people in Sweden.
The tiny organ, which is attached to and opens into the lower end of the large intestine, may contribute to this brain disorder that affects nearly a million Americans, the researchers say. Their study was published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
“Parkinson’s disease is multisystem disorder,” said Viviane Labrie, senior author of the study and an assistant professor at the Van Andel Research Institute in Michigan. “And so there’s likely to be many sites of origin in terms of where Parkinson’s disease starts, the [gastrointesti...
