Those who have had damage to the upper lining of their gastrointestinal tract are 76% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to research led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Parkinson’s disease is a devastating condition that progressively causes trouble with movement, mobility, and speech. But while Parkinson’s disease has long been considered a disease of the brain, a growing body of research suggests it may actually start in the gut.

People with a history of upper gastrointestinal (GI) damage have a 76% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

In the puzzle that is Parkinson's disease, there are dueling camps: "brain-first" versus "gut-first." The former proposes that Parkinson's starts in the brain with the loss of dopamine-producing neurons ultimately linked to muscle stiffness and tremors.