Constipation may represent one of the earliest signs of Parkinson's disease, preceding the onset of motor symptoms by two decades or more, data from a case-control study suggest…

The association remained significant after controlling for other factors associated with constipation, according to a report in the December issue of Neurology…

"Our findings may suggest that constipation is an early manifestation of the neurodegenerative process underlying Parkinson's disease, and that it frequently precedes the classic motor signs of Parkinson's disease by several decades in both men and women," Walter A. Rocca, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues concluded.

MedPage Today, by Charles Bankhead, 12/2/09

Tags: constipation, GI, Neurology, parkinson's disease