Researchers in California say that they have found a link between certain pesticides used in the state’s Central Valley and an increase in Parkinson’s cases that may require some sufferers to use homecare to maintain quality of life.
The two compounds, maneb and paraquat have been linked to neurodegenerative concerns in animal models, but UCLA scientists found that people who lived near fields sprayed with t
he products had up to a 75 percent higher risk than their counterparts who had no similar interaction.
For those under the age of 60 who develop Parkinson’s-like symptoms, the risk increased to a level four or six times higher than the average rate of incidence for the disease.
Results of the study suggest “that the critical window of exposure to toxicants may have occurred years before the onset of motor symptoms when a diagnosis of Parkinson’s is made,” said lead author Beate Ritz.
The scientists noted that exposure to both chemicals may have had a compound effect in increasing the likelihood of disease incidence among the neighbors surveyed.
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