SUNNYVALE, Calif.—Those who work in regular contact with pesticides may be at increased risk for Parkinson's disease, says a new study (Arch Neurol. 2009;66(9):1106-1113.)
U.S. researchers asked 519 people with Parkinson’s disease and 511 without the disease about their level of interaction with pesticides in their jobs. Risk of Parkinson’s increased with pesticide use. The study found 44 (8.5 percent) of Parkinson's patients reported pesticide exposure, compared with 27 (5.3 percent) of those without the disease. 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.