It has been reported that people who live near golf courses are at higher risk of Parkinson's disease, but some are skeptical
Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease | Neurology | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2833716
expert reaction to study looking at Parkinson's Disease risk and proximity to golf courses | Science Media Center
https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-looking-at-parkinsons-disease-risk-and-proximity-to-golf-courses/
Controversial New Study Links Parkinson's With Living Near a Golf Course : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/controversial-new-study-links-parkinsons-with-living-near-a-golf-course
The cause of Parkinson's disease has not yet been clarified, but in recent years, a theory has emerged that 'certain pesticides may increase the risk of Parkinson's disease,' which has sparked fierce debate among scientists. While farmers who are more exposed to pesticides tend to have a higher risk of Parkinson's disease, it has also been pointed out that people living in industrial areas are also at higher risk of Parkinson's disease, suggesting that genetics as well as the environment may play a role.
Catherine Fletcher , lead researcher at Parkinson's UK , a charity that conducts research on Parkinson's disease, said: 'There have been a number of studies in different populations around the world to look at whether pesticides increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. The results have been mixed, but overall they suggest that exposure to pesticides may increase the risk of Parkinson's disease. However, there is not enough evidence to say that exposure to pesticides directly causes Parkinson's disease.'
Meanwhile, a research team led by Brittany Krzyzanowski of the Barrow Neurological Institute in the United States hypothesized that 'pesticides used to maintain golf course turf may affect the risk of Parkinson's disease in nearby residents,' and conducted a study on 419 Parkinson's disease patients and 5,113 healthy people.
After controlling for a variety of characteristics and demographics, the analysis found that living within one mile of a golf course was associated with a 126 percent increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease compared with those living more than six miles away.
Additionally, people living in water service areas that include golf courses were nearly twice as likely to develop Parkinson's disease compared to people living in areas without golf courses.
Based on these correlations, Krzyzanowski and his colleagues argue that pesticides sprayed on golf courses may affect people's risk of Parkinson's disease through the air and groundwater. The research team stated, 'Public health policies that reduce the risk of groundwater contamination and airborne exposure to golf course pesticides may help reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease in nearby areas.'
Other experts have expressed skepticism about Krzyzanowski and his team's conclusions. Prof David Dexter, also of Parkinson's UK, points out that the study didn't test for pollutants in the groundwater or air around the golf courses, and didn't properly control for other factors such as air pollution from vehicles.
And while Parkinson's brain changes begin 10 to 15 years before a doctor diagnoses them, this study didn't just look at people who had lived near golf courses all their lives, meaning some of the people classified as 'Parkinson's patients living near golf courses' may have developed the disease while living elsewhere and been diagnosed after moving to a golf course.
'Again, the study was not carefully controlled, which makes the claim that people who lived near golf courses may have been exposed to pesticides and increased their risk of developing Parkinson's disease less plausible,' Dexter said.
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