In December between paraquat, a strong pesticide, and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The pesticide, which has been previously linked to Parkinson’s, is banned in some countries including those where it is manufactured. But it’s not banned in the US.
What should people with Parkinson’s know about this news?
First, in the laboratory, there is a history of evidence demonstrating that paraquat causes Parkinson’s symptoms in animals. Although recent research in rodents (here and here) has found evidence to the contrary, the general link between pesticide and Parkinson’s disease in humans is clear.
In fact, while we still do not know what causes the disease in the vast majority of people, it is generally accepted that “genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger” for Parkinson’s.
Second, the two reports in the New York Times emphasize the unfortunate degree to which epidemiology – the study of how behaviors and environment impact our health – has been, in some ways, the poor stepchild of PD research (in the sense that it has not received the recognition or support it warrants).
Certainly, epidemiology has played a vital role in Parkinson’s research. It has identified who get the disease and what they have in common, leading scientists to try to understand why heavy smokers and coffee drinkers have a reduced risk of PD and how caffeine and nicotine could be therapeutics for PD. But to date, results of epidemiological studies into environmental influences on Parkinson’s have not yielded a practical change to our society’s approach toward a potentially toxic pesticide.
What Next?
The fact that paraquat continues to be used in the US, despite clear epidemiological links to Parkinson’s, is nothing short of alarming. At the very least, decision-makers should consider ensuring that the people who professionally apply paraquat, e.g., farmers, are adequately protected.
Given that the number of people with Parkinson’s is set to double by 2030, we at the Parkinson’s Foundation have the responsibility to identify how the disease is triggered and work to prevent it before millions more are affected. We are initiating that process by funding research to find out the answer to the basic question of how many people have Parkinson’s in the US.
As we move forward, it is clear epidemiology will be there to help us, it just needs our support to do it.
Do you have more questions about this topic? Learn more by contacting our National HelpLine at (800) 457-6676 or info@pdf.org with any additional questions.
http://blog.pdf.org/2017/02/08/time-to-be-stronger-on-pesticides-linked-to-parkinsons/
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