Parkinson's disease & pesticides - Shorts - Brief Article

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  July, 2002  by Jule Klotter

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

An article from the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) says that pesticides contribute to the development of some cases of Parkinson's. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear when 60 to 80% of the brain cells that produce dopamine have died. Dopamine is necessary for muscle control. The symptoms of Parkinson's include "resting tremor, rigidity, slow movement, postural instability and progressively involuntary writhing movements, paralysis and an inability to talk or swallow." Most cases of Parkinson's are believed to result from chemical exposure or an interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Only 10% are truly genetic.

Several studies indicate a link between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's. Researchers have found that people who live in farming areas and have been exposed to pesticides (directly and/or through well water) are more likely to get Parkinson's. In 2000, researchers at Stanford University interviewed 1038 people about their lifestyle habits and exposure to insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Nearly half of the group (496 people) had Parkinson's. Their results showed that "individuals who were exposed to pesticides in the home or garden were 70% more likely to develop Parkinson's than those who were not exposed," according to the PANNA article. Also, the brains of those who die of Parkinson's have higher levels of organochlorine pesticides than those who do not have the disease.

PANNA. Parkinson's Discase Possibly Linked to Pesticide Exposure. Pesticide Action Network Updates Service 2001 September 28; www.panna.org

COPYRIGHT 2002 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group