A recent study has further substantiated a link between Parkinson’s disease and exposure to pesticides.  The study compared pesticide exposure in those affected by Parkinson’s disease with the exposure of their relatives without the condition.

The research, conducted by the Duke University Medical Center and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, involved interviews of 319 Parkinson’s patients and 200 of their relatives.  Variables examined were history of pesticide exposure, living or working on a farm, and well-water drinking.

According to the study, researchers detected an overall correlation between pesticide use and Parkinson’s.  The strongest association present was between Parkinson’s and the use of herbicides and insecticides, such as organochlorides and organophosphates. Researchers did not find an association between Parkinson’s and well-water drinking or living or working on a farm.

Although the study is one of many that have shown pesticides to be a risk factor for Parkinson’s, researchers stated that the correlation is far from established. “Biological evidence is presently insufficient to conclude that pesticide exposure causes PD,” said the study’s lead author, Dana Hancock. 

Currently, Parkinson’s disease affects approximately 1 million people in the U.S.  The neurological disorder most frequently develops later in life, and exhibits symptoms such as tremors and muscle rigidity.

For further information: “Pesticide exposure and risk of Parkinson’s disease: a family-based case-control study,” Dana B Hancock, BMC Neurology, March 28, 2008.