Pesticides increase risk of Parkinson's disease

[New Sancai Compilation and First Release] The American Academy of Neurology recently released a research report on the relationship between Parkinson’s disease and pesticides and herbicides. The report notes that, based on preliminary research, pesticides and herbicides appear to increase people's risk of developing Parkinson's disease. People exposed to different types of pesticides and herbicides were approximately 25 to 36 percent more likely to develop Parkinson's disease. The study is expected to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in April.

The researchers said they identified areas across the United States that used more pesticides and had more people with Parkinson's disease, and then identified areas that used the most pesticides and had the most people with Parkinson's disease. area. They then go one step further to find out what pesticides are used in the area.

They found the strongest link between pesticides and Parkinson's disease in 13 major agricultural states, including Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and New Mexico. , North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. People in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains regions of the United States are particularly at risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a disease in which the body's nervous system continues to degenerate. The patient's mobility will become worse and worse, and problems such as trembling, stiffness of the legs, difficulty in balancing the body, and unsteady walking will gradually occur. In the study, researchers looked at rates of Parkinson's across the country among more than 21 million people with medical records in 2009. Then they looked for a link between the incidence of Parkinson's disease and more than 60 different pesticides.

They found fourteen pesticides in the Rockies and Great Plains that were linked to Parkinson's disease. Three of the most commonly used pesticides have been linked most strongly to Parkinson's disease. People living in areas of farms with the highest use of a certain herbicide were 36 percent more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those living in areas with the lowest use. Residents in areas where the other two herbicides were used had a 31 percent and 25 percent increased risk of Parkinson's disease, respectively.

The research report also stated that they had tried to exclude the impact of other risk factors, such as air pollution, but the results showed that the risk caused by pesticides was still high.

Pesticides and herbicides have been previously found to be important risk factors for Parkinson's disease, and hundreds of pesticides are known to have yet to be studied for a link to Parkinson's disease. However, the researchers also added that this is only a preliminary study result, and more research is necessary to determine its correlation. They also hope that this will prompt the government and the pesticide industry to take measures to reduce the risk of pesticide-related diseases.

Since the results of this study are expected to be released at a medical conference first, they cannot be considered to be confirmed by the academic community until they have been academically reviewed and officially published in a medical journal.

(Compiled by: Mulian)

(Editor: Jiang Qiming)

(Source of the article: Compiled and published by New Sancai)