Pesticides may raise Parkinson's risk

NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) Exposure to pesticides increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease somewhat, researchers report.

It's likely that both genetic and environmental factors lead to Parkinson's disease, Dr Finlay B Dick from Aberdeen University, UK, told Reuters Health. ''While pesticides have been shown to be a risk factor for PD, the risk of the disease is only modestly increased,'' he noted.

Dick and colleagues investigated possible associations between Parkinson's disease and environmental factors in five European countries.

Three factors emerged as having a significant impact on the risk for Parkinson's disease, the investigators report in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

First, low exposure to pesticides increased the risk for Parkinson's disease by 13 per cent, and high exposure increased the risk 41 per cent.

Second, having been knocked unconscious conferred an even higher risk, the researchers report, with a 35 per cent increase for having been knocked unconscious once and a 153 per cent increase for having been knocked unconscious more than once.

Third, tobacco use appeared to protect against developing Parkinson's disease, the report indicates, reducing the odds by half.

''This study has provided important evidence of the increased risk of Parkinson's disease in relation to exposure to pesticides,'' the team concludes. The fact that the risk increased with greater exposure ''suggests that pesticide exposure may be a causative and potentially modifiable risk factor.'' REUTERS JT KN0913