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Exposure to Pesticides Can Lead to Parkinson's Brits Say - Monday, November 12, 2007

Researchers in Great Britain recently reported that exposure to pesticides can significantly increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. According to the study, individuals heavily exposed to pesticides had a 41% increased risk of developing Parkinson's, and even those with low exposure had a 13% increased risk of developing the disease.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that affects speech and motor skills. Sufferers experience muscle tremors, muscle rigidity, slowing physical movements and sometimes total loss of physical movements. Other symptoms include high level cognitive dysfunction and language problems.

According to the United States National Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson's affects equal numbers of men and women usually after the age of 65. The specific causes of Parkinson's disease are still unknown; however, researchers believe the causes are a combination of environmental triggers, e.g. the toxins in pesticides, and a genetic predisposition to the disease.