Study shows that living near a golf course might double your chance of getting Parkinson’s disease.
A recent study suggests that living within a mile of a golf course might raise the chance of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Researchers from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona looked into whether living near golf courses could be linked to a higher risk of Parkinson’s. They found that pesticides used to keep golf courses looking great might be causing this, possibly through drinking water or air contamination.
The study examined health data from people living near 139 golf courses in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. They discovered that those living within a mile of a golf course had a 126% higher risk of Parkinson’s compared to people living more than six miles away. Plus, the risk dropped by 13% for every mile further from the golf course.
The study said, “People living in water areas with golf courses had nearly double the odds of PD compared to those in areas without golf courses, and 49% higher odds compared to people with private wells.” Pesticides like paraquat and rotenone are known to cause Parkinson-like brain damage, the study added.
Dr. Brittany Krzyzanowski, an assistant professor involved in the study, said the findings suggest that pesticides on golf courses could play a part in Parkinson’s cases nearby. She emphasized that public health policies to reduce pesticide contamination in water and air could help lower the risk.
In the UK and EU, pesticide use is carefully controlled. Dr. Katherine Fletcher from Parkinson’s UK explained that paraquat is banned due to health and environmental concerns. She said the risk for most people in the UK is very low. She added, “Parkinson’s is complicated, with causes likely involving both genes and environment. Many studies have looked at pesticides and Parkinson’s worldwide, with mixed results, but overall, exposure to pesticides might increase risk. Still, there isn’t strong proof that pesticides directly cause Parkinson’s.”
Dr. Fletcher also pointed out that the study doesn’t look at other ways people might be exposed to pesticides, like at work, or whether genetics play a role.
Last year on BBC Morning Live, hosts Rav Wilding and Michelle Ackerley spoke with Dr. Oscar Duke about the research. Dr. Duke reassured UK viewers not to worry, saying the study mainly focused on US golf courses. “In America, they use different pesticides and more chemicals than in the UK, so it might not be the same here,” he said.
He explained that while living close to a golf course was linked to a 126% higher chance of Parkinson’s, many people in the study had only recently moved near golf courses. This means they might not have been exposed early on when the disease started developing. Dr. Duke concluded, “If you like golf, there’s no need to panic right now.”