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IN THE NEWS Study Bolsters Link between Pesticides and Parkinson's Disease SCIENCE NEWS June 26, 2006 People who have been exposed to pesticides are 70 percent more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those who haven't, according to a new study. The results suggest that any pesticide exposure, whether occupationally related or not, will increase a person's risk of the disease. This means that using pesticides in the home or garden may have similarly harmful effects as working with the chemicals on a farm or as a pest controller.   The research, published in the July issue of Annals of Neurology, provides the strongest evidence to date of the link between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's. The study included over 143,000 men and women who completed extensive lifestyle questionnaires beginning in 1982, and follow-up surveys through 2001. All subjects were symptom-free at the beginning of the project, when they were asked about their occupation and exposure to potentially hazardous materials. Since then, 413 of them have developed confirmed cases of Parkinson's, with a greater incidence of the disease in those who spent time around pesticides. "Low- dose pesticide exposure was associated with a significant increase in risk for Parkinson's disease," says lead author Alberto Ascherio of the Harvard School for Public Health. "I think this is one reason to be careful about using pesticides in general." Although the causes of Parkinson's are not well understood, it has long been suspected that environmental factors play a large role. Animal studies have shown that chemical compounds commonly used as pesticides can cause a degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons. In Parkinson's, a shortage of dopamine causes the disease's characteristic motor abnormalities, including muscle tremors and muscle rigidity. Previous small-scale human studies had suggested a link between pesticides and Parkinson's, but this new study is the first to establish a clear correlation in a large patient population.   The researchers also looked for links between Parkinson's and other environmental contaminants, including asbestos, coal dust, exhaust, formaldehyde and radioactive material. They found no correlation between the disease and any of the materials besides pesticides, however. Because of the design of the questionnaires, the study was not able to determine how the frequency, duration, or intensity of pesticide exposure affected the incidence of Parkinson's. The next step, according to Ascherio, is to figure out which class of chemicals is actually causing the disease, so that people can reduce their exposure. --Karen Schrock STUDY LINKS I.Q. TO PESTICIDE USE March 24, 2006 By PATRICK SPRINGER, THE FORUM     CALIFORNIA FINDS LAWN CHEMICALS DANGEROUS TO HEALTH December 21, 2005 Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA),     SCIENCE PANEL ISSUES REPORT ON EXPOSURE TO POLLUTANT January 11, 2005 By FELICITY BARRINGER   COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF PESTICIDE RESEARCH CONFIRMS DANGERS    April 23, 2004 Environics Communications Ontario College of Family Physicians   STUDY LINKS SOME HAIR DYES TO KIND OF CANCER  January 24, 2004 By MARY DUENWALD; THE NEW YORK TIMES     MAD COW DANGER MAY BE EVEN BIGGER  RESEARCH SUGGESTS SICK ANIMALS MAY NOT SHOW SYMPTOMS. January 13, 2004 By TODD HARTMAN; SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE TOP  │  HOME