Study Links Parkinson's Disease With Chemical Exposure
by Jo Hartley (see all articles by this author)
(NaturalNews) Scientists have now discovered additional evidence of a
connection between Parkinson's disease and long-term exposure to
pesticides.
Parkinson's disease strikes movements like walking, talking and writing.
Symptoms of the disease first tend to appear in patients over 50. These
symptoms may include tremors and muscle rigidity.
Approximately 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
every
year. More than half a million Americans may be affected at any one time
but
this number is difficult to pinpoint accurately due to the high number of
people who have the disease but have not yet had a formal diagnosis.
The disease is chronic and progressive with patients' symptoms growing
steadily worse over time.
A study of over 300 people with Parkinson's found that sufferers were more
than two times as likely to have had heavy exposure to pesticides over
their
lifetime as other members of their family without the disease.
The new research observed the lifetime pesticide exposure of over 300
Parkinson's patients. Over 200 of their healthy relatives were also
included
in the study as a control group. The results showed that patients with
Parkinson's were 1.6 times more likely to re****t an exposure to pesticides
in their lifetimes compared with the control group.
Additionally, people with Parkinson's were 2.4 times more likely than
healthy people to re****t heavy exposure to pesticides. Heavy exposure is
defined as more than 215 days over a lifetime.
Other prior studies have also pointed to a possible link between pesticide
exposure and the disease and now public authorities are trying to decide
whether these risks should be determined significant.
A change in several genes has been identified as a precursor to the
disease,
however these variations are somewhat unusual and they only account for a
small number of the incidence of the disease. The majority of cases are
believed to be the result of a reaction between genes and the environment.
Pesticides may be contributing to nerve cell death in some people who have
Parkinson's. It is unlikely to be the only cause of the disease, however.
The strongest correlations were for people with Parkinson's who had been
exposed to herbicides and insecticides such as organochlorides and
organophosphates. There were no connections between Parkinson's disease
and
drinking well-water or living or working on a farm (two often used proxies
for pesticide exposures). The participants in the study tended to be
people
who used a lot of pesticides in their homes and in their hobbies.
As the evidence grows, the researchers are watching for enough biological
evidence to conclude that Parkinson's is linked to pesticide exposure. The
biological mechanism linking pesticides and Parkinson's is still not
known.
Future genetic studies of Parkinson's may consider the influence of
pesticides because exposure to these chemicals might be what triggers the
disease in people who are genetically predisposed.
This study sup****ts the connection between pesticides and Parkinson's and
strengthens the fact that pesticides play a key role.
About the author
Jo Hartley
Wife, Mother of 8, and Grandmother of 2
Jo is a 40 year old home educator who has always gravitated toward a
natural
approach to life. She enjoys learning as much as possible about just about
anything!
http://www.loftymatters.comhttp://www.naturalnews.com/z023151.html
