Penicillin use is related to lower risk of Parkinson's disease

A new Rutgers Health study has revealed an unexpected link between the use of penicillin antibiotics and a slightly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects movement and balance. The research, published in the journal *Parkinsonism & Related Disorders*, offers an intriguing perspective on how the bacterial flora of the intestine could influence brain health, specifically neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s.

The research, led by neurologist Gian Pal of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, analyzed medical records of more than 93,000 patients in the United Kingdom, contrasting data between 12,557 people diagnosed with Parkinson’s and 80,804 individuals without the disease. The researchers observed that those who had taken five or more cycles of penicillin in the five years before diagnosis had a 15% lower risk of developing Parkinson’s compared to those who did not receive antibiotic treatment.

Gian Pal and his team observed an “inverse dose-response” relationship, that is, the greater the use of penicillin, the lower the observed risk of Parkinson’s, although Pal pointed out that these results contrast with previous findings. “This relationship was unexpected and contradicts some studies that suggested a neutral or even harmful effect of certain antibiotics on neurological health,” Pal said.

The results also suggest a possible link between the gut microbiome and the risk of Parkinson’s, a disorder that affects more than 10 million people worldwide. According to some researchers, the accumulation of toxins or inflammation generated by certain intestinal bacteria could play a role in the development of this disease. In this sense, Pal suggests that certain changes in the intestinal microbiome could facilitate the passage of inflammation or toxins from the intestine to the brain through the vagus nerve, a theory that has already been considered in previous studies on the origin of the disease.

In contrast to the finding on penicillin, the study also revealed that people who received two or more antifungal treatments in the same period showed a 16% increased risk of Parkinson’s. This is consistent with previous research conducted in Finland, which suggests that antifungals could have an adverse effect on brain health. However, Pal emphasizes that these associations, although statistically significant, are modest and should not lead to changes in the medical use of these treatments: “These observations have low clinical impact, and should not influence prescribing decisions of these treatments. antibiotics or antifungals.”

The study has limitations, such as the inability to evaluate other factors that could affect the intestinal microbiome, such as the patients’ diet, which could influence the risk of Parkinson’s. Despite these limitations, Pal believes that the results support the need to further investigate the possible relationship between the gut microbiome and Parkinson’s disease. “That a drug like penicillin, which is administered only for a few days, slightly modifies the risk of Parkinson’s reinforces the hypothesis that the intestinal microbiome could be involved in this disease,” said Pal.

The research also opens the door to new studies on the role of specific fungi and bacteria in the development of Parkinson’s. Pal and his team are interested in exploring whether the microbiome composition in Parkinson’s patients shows specific differences that could be relevant to the diagnosis or prevention of the disease. According to Pal, “understanding the microbial composition of the intestine, especially in terms of bacteria and fungi, could be useful in identifying differences between patients with Parkinson’s and those who do not have the disease.”

Additionally, the Rutgers team is considering the possibility that modifying certain levels of gut microorganisms could help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s or even alter the course of the disease in people who have already been diagnosed. This approach could revolutionize Parkinson’s treatment, offering a route to improve symptoms and possibly prevent disease progression through interventions in the gut microbiome.

As the world’s population ages, cases of Parkinson’s are on the rise, and the lack of a definitive cure makes these types of findings especially relevant for preventive medicine. Although the exact causes of Parkinson’s remain unclear, the general consensus indicates that it is the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. This Rutgers Health study underscores the importance of continuing to explore the interaction between the gut microbiome and the brain, and how this relationship could offer a key to preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s in the future.

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