Study Links Pesticides and Herbicides in Farming to Parkinson’s Disease
A recent study presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting reveals a concerning correlation between the use of pesticides and herbicides in farming and the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in certain regions of the United States. Conducted by researchers at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, the study utilized geographic methods to examine Parkinson’s disease rates across the country and compared them to regional pesticide and herbicide usage levels. The findings raise the urgent need for further in-depth studies and potential measures to mitigate disease risk by reducing pesticide usage.
Regional Analysis Indicates Strong Link
To understand the connection between pesticide usage and Parkinson’s disease, the researchers analyzed medical records from a staggering 21.5 million Medicare enrollees in 2009. They specifically focused on determining the Parkinson’s disease rates across various US regions and examined the relationship between these rates and the use of 65 different pesticides.
Within the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains region, which encompasses parts of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, the researchers identified 14 pesticides associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Main Findings and Alarming Results
The study highlighted the particular danger of three pesticides and herbicides: simazine, atrazine, and lindane.
For simazine, individuals who lived in counties with the highest herbicide exposure had a 36% higher likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those in counties with the lowest exposure. In numbers, 411 new Parkinson’s cases were recorded for every 100,000 people in high-exposure counties, while low-exposure counties witnessed 380 cases.
A similar alarming trend was observed for atrazine, with the highest exposure resulting in a 31% increased risk of Parkinson’s disease compared to the lowest exposure. Disturbingly, high-exposure counties had 475 new cases per 100,000 people, while low-exposure counties reported 398 cases.
Finally, lindane, the insecticide, had those exposed to the highest levels 25% more likely to develop the disease. Counties with the highest lindane exposure recorded 386 new Parkinson’s cases for every 100,000 people, while low-exposure counties noted 349 cases.
Further Concerns and Research Needs
These results held true even after adjusting for other factors that could potentially influence Parkinson’s risk, such as air pollution exposure. However, the study had certain limitations as it solely relied on county-level estimates due to the unavailability of individual-level data on pesticide exposure in the study population.
Brittany Krzyzanowski, PhD, the study author, expressed concerns due to the countless pesticides and herbicides that have not yet been evaluated for their potential links to Parkinson’s disease. The study emphasizes the imminent requirement for more extensive research in order to ascertain these relationships and encourage measures in reducing pesticide levels, thus lowering the risk of the disease.
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