New research released yesterday has unveiled a worrying link between high levels of a certain pesticide in the blood with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
The data highlights the most concrete evidence found yet linking the two. Researchers are hopeful that as a result of the discovery a blood test could be developed to pinpoint more vulnerable people. Those who are deemed to be at risk could be given early monitoring and even preventative treatment.
Research findings in the past discovered above average amounts of organochlorine pesticides like DDT in the brains of Parkinson’s patients. However these latest findings reveal a specific problematic pesticide in the blood.
During the research 113 people between the ages of 50 and 89 were examined – 50 of them had Parkinson’s, 43 were healthy while an additional 20 had a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
Scientists took blood tests to see if they could find any trace of 15 organochlorine pesticides. One chemical in particular, beta-HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane), wasfound in 76 per cent of those with Parkinson’s, compated to 40 per cent in the healthy participants and 30 per cent of Alzheimer’s sufferers.
Study leader Professor Dwight German, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, US, said, “There’s been a link between pesticide use and Parkinson’s disease for a long time, but never a specific pesticide.
“This is particularly important because the disease is not diagnosed until after significant nerve damage has occurred. A test for this risk factor might allow for early detection and protective treatment.”
Organochlorines were popularly used between the 1950s and 1970s, but its use now much more regulated. They hang around in the environment for a long period of time without breaking down and can cause severe nerve damage.
“Much higher levels of the beta-HCH were in the air, water and food chain when the Parkinson’s patients were in their 20s and 30s,” said Prof German. “Also, the half-life of the pesticide is seven to eight years, so it stays in the body for a long time. It is possible that elevated levels of beta-HCH may be a useful clinical measure to identify people who may have an increased risk of PD (Parkinson’s disease), particularly when combined with information about genetic polymorphisms in genes that metabolise organochlorine pesticides.”
