- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Keep Asthma, Allergies at Bay for the Holidays
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Relaxation Tapes or Mozart Lower Blood Pressure
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Birds Don't Miss a Beat
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Osteoporosis May Raise Risk for Vertigo
- New Clues to How Fish Oils Help Arthritis Patients
- Autumn Sees More Women With Bunion Problems
- CANCER
- Selenium, Omega-3s May Stave Off Colorectal Cancer
- Researchers ID Genetic Markers for Esophageal Cancer
- Where You Live May Affect Your Cancer Diagnosis
- CAREGIVING
- Many Alzheimer's Caregivers Admit to Abusive Behavior
- With Alzheimer's, Health-Care Costs Could Triple
- Health Tip: Benefitting From Adult Day Care
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Laughter Can Boost Heart Health
- Migraines in Pregnancy Boost Vascular Risks
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- COSMETIC
- Gum Chewing May Cut Craving for Snacks
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Amino Acid May Be Key to Strong Teeth
- Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- DIABETES
- 'Standard' Glucose Test May Be Wrong One for Obese Children
- Coffee, Tea Might Stave Off Diabetes
- 24 Million Americans Had Diabetes in 2007
- DIET, NUTRITION
- The 3LS Wellness Program for Reversing Chronic Symptoms and Creating Lasting Health
- Red Meat No No No But Oily Fish Yes Yes Yes
- HELP TO LOSE WEIGHT ON A LOW CAL BUDGET
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Meat-Eating Dinosaurs Used Legs and Arms Like Birds
- Short-Term Air Pollution Exposure May Damage DNA
- Walkable Neighborhoods Keep the Pounds Off
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Antioxidant-Rich Diet May Protect Against Eye Disease
- Sports Eye Injuries Leading Cause of Blindness in Youths
- Statin Drugs Cause Eye Disorders
- FITNESS
- Exercise Helps Reduce Falls in Young and Old
- Higher Fitness Levels Tied to Lower Heart, Death Risks
- After a Stroke, Light Exercise Gets Hands, Arms Working Again
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Deployment Takes Toll on Army Wives
- Lower Vitamin D Levels in Blacks May Up Heart Risks
- Lack of Vitamin D Linked to High Blood Pressure
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Omega-3, Some Omega-6 Fatty Acids Boost Cardiovascular Health
- Ingredient in Dark Chocolate Could Guard Against Stroke
- Fewer Heart Attacks After England Goes Smoke-Free
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Dry Weather Boosts Odds of Flu Outbreaks
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- KID'S HEALTH
- When It Comes to Toys, Shop Smart, Shop Safe
- Standard IQ Test May Underestimate People With Autism
- Mom and Baby Alike May Benefit From Exercise
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Strenuous Daily Workout May Keep Cancer at Bay
- Sunlight May Help Protect Men From Kidney Cancer
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Teen Internet Addicts More Likely to Self-Harm: Study
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- Optimism May Boost Immune System
- PREGNANCY
- Prenatal Stress May Boost Baby's Asthma Risk
- Before Conceiving, Take Folic Acid for One Full Year
- Pregnant Women Exposed To Certain Pollutants Could Lower Childs IQ
- SENIORS
- Martial Arts Training May Save Seniors' Hips
- Nighttime Urination Linked to Higher Death Rate Among Elderly
- Exercise Helps Reduce Falls in Young and Old
Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's
By eHolistic.com Published: 09/16/2009
(HealthDay News) -- People whose jobs bring them in regular contact with pesticides may be at increased risk for Parkinson's disease, a U.S. study finds.
Researchers asked 519 Parkinson's patients and 511 people without the disease about their work history and exposure to toxins, including pesticides and solvents. Working in agriculture, education, health care or welding wasn't associated with Parkinson's disease, nor was any other specific occupation after the researchers adjusted for other factors.
But the study found that 44 (8.5 percent) of Parkinson's patients reported pesticide exposure, compared with 27 (5.3 percent) of those without the disease. The finding suggests an association between work-related pesticide exposure and increased risk of Parkinson's.
"Growing evidence suggests a causal association between pesticide use and parkinsonism. However, the term 'pesticide' is broad and includes chemicals with varied mechanisms," wrote Dr. Caroline M. Tanner of the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, Calif., and colleagues. "Because few investigations have identified specific pesticides, we studied eight pesticides with high neurotoxic plausibility based on laboratory findings. Use of these pesticides was associated with higher risk of parkinsonism, more than double that in those not exposed."
Three compounds -- an organic (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), an herbicide (paraquat), and an insecticide (permethrin) -- were associated with a more than threefold increased risk of Parkinson's, the study found. Laboratory tests have shown that all three compounds have effects on dopaminergic neurons, which are affected by Parkinson's disease.
"This convergence of epidemiologic and laboratory data from experimental models of Parkinson's disease lends credence to a causative role of certain pesticides in the neurodegenerative process," Tanner and colleagues concluded. "Other pesticide exposures, such as hobby gardening, residential exposure, wearing treated garments or dietary intake, were not assessed. Because these exposures may affect more subjects, future attention is warranted."
The study appears in the September issue of the Archives of Neurology.
SOURCES: JAMA/Archives journals, news release, Sept. 14, 2009
