Parkinson's Disease
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Pesticides Trigger Parkinson’s Disease Astounding body of scien� fi c literature fi nds strong evidence linking Parkinson’s to normal pes� cide exposure and fuels movement to phase-out numerous classes of pes� cides and adopt safe management approaches. By Kagan Owens cyperquat, the closely related paraquat, and other pes� cides.5 This discovery sparked interest in studying the link between ith less than one percent of cases caused by gene� cs,1 pes� cides and PD, which has undercovered links to numerous researchers have been looking for the poten� al risk pes� cides and chemical families. Wfactors for developing Parkinson’s disease (PD). What they are fi nding is startling. The epidemiological and toxicological Pesticide Exposure Increases Risk evidence is repeatedly iden� fying exposure to pes� cides, as well While some epidemiological studies and animal data linking PD as specifi c gene-pes� cide interac� ons, as signifi cant adverse risk with pes� cides has been inconsistent6,7 (likely due to study design factors that contribute to PD. issues such as control selec� ons, study size, variety of diagnos� c criteria used and sta� s� cal analysis), convincing evidence is What Is Parkinson’s Disease? con� nually emerging that demonstrates the pes� cide The secondsecond mostmost commoncommon neurodegenera�neurodegenera� vvee exposureexposure link toto PD.PD. 8,9 disease,2 PParkinson’sarkinson’s occuroccurss when nernerveve cells in the substan�substan� a nigranigra regionregion of the brainbrain areare Published case-controlcase-control studiesstudies showshow a damageddamaged or destroyeddestroyed and cancan no longerlonger sta�sta� ss�� ccallyally signifi ccantant associa�associa� on and produceproduce dopamine, a nerve-signalingnerve-signaling elevatedelevated odds-ra�odds-ra� os (OR) fforor PD (tha(thatt molecule thatthat helpshelps controlcontrol muscle determinedetermine the elevateelevate disease rrateate movement.movement. PeoplePeople with PD havehave a aboveabove the norm of 1.0) and exposureexposure toto varietyvariety of symptomssymptoms including loss of pes�pes� cides.10,11 Dura� on of exposure12 muscle control,control, tremblingtrembling and lack of and levellevel of exposureexposure13 is also coordina�coordina� on. TheyThey maymay also experienceexperience correlatedcorrelated with an increaseincrease in PD risk. In anxiety,anxiety, cons�cons� pa�pa� on, demen�demen� a, a reviewreview of 40 published epidemiologicepidemiologicalal depression,depression, urinaryurinary diffi cul� es, and case-controlcase-control studiesstudies fromfrom 1983-2005, sleep disturbances.disturbances. OverOver � me, symptomssymptoms researchersresearchers fromfrom the UK evaluatedevaluated the intensify. rela�rela� onship betweenbetween PD and pes�pes� cide exposure,exposure, fi nding suffi cientcient eevidencevidence thathatt AtAt leastleast one million AmericAmericansans havehave PD and an associa�associa� on existsexists and is strongeststrongest forfor about 50,000 newnew casescases areare diagnosed each exposureexposure toto herbicides and insec� cides, year.year. PD affaff ects mostlymostly the middle-agedmiddle-aged and and a�a� er long dura�dura� ons of exposure.exposure. In the elderly.elderly. TreatmentsTreatments areare availableavailable forfor the symptoms,symptoms, 31 studiesstudies thatthat showshow resultsresults forfor pes�pes� cides in an but there is currently no cure for PD. exposure category, the ORs ranged from 0.75 to 7.0 (a ¾ to 7 � mes greater disease rate) -- only two of those studies The First Link reported an OR less than 1.0.14 A meta-analysis of 19 published, The suspicion that pes� cides might be linked to PD was theorized peer-reviewed studies done in the U.S. from 1989-1999 fi nds that in the 1980’s following a wave of drug induced Parkinson’s-like individuals exposed to pes� cides have twice the risk of developing illnesses. The drug, MPTP, which was used as a heroin subs� tute, PD than the general popula� on.15 A 1993 case-control study fi nds is transformed in the brain a� er injec� on. The new compound, a posi� ve associa� on with insec� cide exposure (OR=5.75), past MPP+, causes the loss of dopamine producing cells and the residency in a fumigated house (OR=5.25), and herbicide exposure sudden onset of a Parkinson’s-like illness.3 The reason for the toxic (OR=3.22) to PD. 16 eff ect is that MPP+ inhibits one of the enzymes in mitochondria, intracellular organelles that provide cells with energy.4 It was A large Harvard School of Public Health epidemiological study of later discovered that MPP+ was not only the breakdown product more than 140,000 adults fi nds that those exposed to long-term, of an obscure drug, but also the ac� ve ingredient of the herbicide low levels of pes� cides have a 70 percent higher incidence of PD Page 14 Pesticides and You Vol. 28, No. 1, Spring 2008 A quarterly publication of Beyond Pesticides than among people who report no exposure.17 A study of almost PD as an underlying cause of death and cross-referenced with 3000 people in fi ve European countries fi nds low level pes� cide agricultural and pes� cide use data fi nds that the coun� es using users, such as amateur gardeners, are 9% more likely to have restricted use pes� cides (RUP) for agricultural purposes have Parkinson’s, whereas high level users, like farmers, are 43% more about a 40 percent increase in PD mortality when compared to likely. 18 those coun� es repor� ng no RUP.31 According to scien� sts, people exposed to chemicals that have a Occupational Exposure par� cular affi nity for the substan� a nigra region of the brain may Confi rmed again and again, studies fi nd that PD is associated be at par� cular risk for developing the disease.19 In 2006, the with occupa� onal exposure to pes� cides.32,33,34,35,36,37,38 preliminary results of a Centers for Disease Control and Preven� on ,39,40 Studies show a two- to over a threefold increased risk of (CDC) funded study led by the University of North Dakota’s Energy developing PD with occupa� onal exposure, whether from working & Environmental Research Center, show that the areas of the brain on farms,41,42 orchards,43 or planta� ons.44 A popula� on-based in laboratory-tested rats aff ected by pes� cide exposure are the case-control study in Canada fi nds that a history of occupa� onal same areas linked to neurological changes associated with PD.20 herbicide use is associated with an es� mated threefold increase in PD risk and previous insec� cide use results in an es� mated Rural Living, Well Water Consumption and twofold increase in risk.45 A case-control study in northeast Italy Farming fi nds a 7.7 OR for farming as an occupa� on.46 Rural residency, well water consump� on, and/or farming posi� vely correlates with an increased incidence of developing Home Pesticide Use PD.21,22,23,24,25 A 2001 meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies A study published in the Journal of the American Medical fi nds that living in a rural area, drinking well water, farming and Associa� on raises concerns for residen� al pes� cide exposure. exposure to pes� cides have overall PD risk es� mates between 1.26 Stanford University researchers fi nd a 70 percent increased risk and 1.85.26 Early studies in Canada fi nd the highest prevalence of of developing PD for individuals that use pes� cides in their home. PD coincides with agricultural areas with the largest amount of Exposure to garden insec� cides carries a 50 percent increased pes� cide use.27,28 One study discovered that many people living in risk of developing the disease. Among herbicide users, the risk rural areas, with no diagnosed neurological disorders, have lower of developing PD increases as the number of days in contact levels of dopamine producing cells than urban popula� ons.29 This with herbicides grows. Respondents who reported handling or suggests that even in the absence of the illness, some aspect of applying herbicides for up to 30 days are 40 percent more likely to rural life is pu� ng people at risk for the disease. Confi rming those develop the disease, whereas respondents that reported 160 days results, another study fi nds that Parkinson’s pa� ents are twice as exposure, have a 70 percent increase.47 likely to be living in rural areas and drinking well water,30 where farming pes� cides o� en contaminate ground water. A California Age-Related Risk Factors mortality study of individuals whose death cer� fi cates men� on The United Na� on’s World Health Organiza� on (WHO) recently Occupa� onal pes� cide exposure, rural living, farming, well water consump� on and residen� al pes� cide use have all been linked to elevated rates of Parkinson’s disease. Vol. 28, No. 1, Spring 2008 Pesticides and You Page 15 A quarterly publication of Beyond Pesticides develop PD later in life.60,61,62 Simply put by Kenneth Olden, Ph.D., former Director of Na� onal Ins� tute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), “Gene� cs load the gun. The environment pulls the trigger.”63 For those with a family history of the disease, exposure to certain chemicals found in pes� cides may increase their risk of developing PD, according to a 2005 study. Researchers looked at specially bred fruit fl ies lacking both forms of the DJ-1 gene that is associated with the inherited form of PD. In the study, researchers show that fl ies lacking forms of the DJ-1 gene are normal under standard condi� ons, but when they are exposed to the herbicide paraquat and insec� cide rotenone, the fl ies Although age may contribute to Parkinson’s disease, it is not considered by scien� sts suff er from extreme oxida� ve or cellular stress and to be a sole cause of the disease.