Parkinson’s disease could originate in appendix, study finds

Appendix removal early in life linked to a 19% reduced risk of developing the illness

Parkinson's disease could originate in the appendix, according to one of the largest studies of the neurodegenerative illness.

The analysis of health records of more than 1 million individuals in Sweden found that having the appendix removed early in life is linked to a 19% reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The findings are the latest to implicate the gut and immune system in the genesis of the disease, in which the loss of neurons in a brain area that controls movement lead to a tremor and slurred speech.