People with removed appendix ‘three times more likely’ to develop Parkinson’s disease

People who have their appendices taken out may be at higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, new research suggests. 

A Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center study of over 62 million patients found who that had had the operation were at a three-fold greater risk of developing Parkinson's, according to the Daily Mail. 

Worldwide, over 10 million people have Parkinson's disease, a devastating neurological disease with no cure and struck comedian Robin Williams before his 2014 suicide. 

The newly discovered link between the appendix and Parkinson's may provide a clue about when, where and why Parkinson's starts to develop.

Around 300,000 Americans have their appendices removed each year, either because the organ - long thought superfluous - has ruptured or to prevent the emergency situation. 

According to the new study, nearly 2,800 of them might develop Parkinson's.