Posted on June 30th, 2010
Where you live may make it more or less likely that you will develop Parkinson’s disease.
The largest epidemiological study of Parkinson’s disease in the U. S. studied data from 36 million Medicare recipients. The research was conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, with results appearing in the journal Neuroepidemiology.
The study revealed that Parkinson’s is more prevalent in the Midwest and the Northeast. It also found that whites and Hispanics are twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease as blacks and Asians.
A neurodegenerative condition, Parkinson’s disease causes tremors, stiffness, slowness, mood and behavioral disorders and sleep problems. The disease is characterized by loss of dopamine, a compound involved in communication between brain cells.
Genetic factors explain only a small number of cases of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers continue to evaluate environmental factors as likely common contributors. Risk factors may include exposure to herbicides and insecticides used in farming or to metals such as copper, manganese and lead.
Researchers note that the Northeast and Midwest are the two regions of the country with the highest concentration of metal processing and agriculture, and chemicals used in these fields represent are the strongest potential environmental identified as potential risk factors for Parkinson’s disease.
