Pesticides and Parkinson's

English: Icon indicating the presence of pesticides (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

People with Parkinson's disease have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

"There's been a link between pesticide use and Parkinson's disease for a long time, but never a specific pesticide," said Dr. Dwight German, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern and a senior author of the paper. "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."

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It is very important to remember that kids and animals react to pesticides much more than adults due to their smaller body size. Here is a resource to help you find alternatives to pesticides.