Latest news with #BrittanyKrzyzanowski
Business Mayor
16-05-2025
- Health
- Business Mayor
How close you live to a golf course impacts your chances of getting Parkinson's, study shows
Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email People who live within one mile of a golf course double their risk of developing Parkinson's disease, new research has suggested. Chemicals used to maintain fairways and greens in perfect shape may be causing the disease by leaking into water sources or escaping into the atmosphere, according to US researchers. The scientists from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona examined health data from people living near 139 golf courses in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. They found that people who lived within a mile of a golf course had a 126 per cent higher chance of getting Parkinson's disease than people who lived more than six miles away. The study also discovered that the likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease decreased by 13 per cent for every mile away from the greens, indicating a linear association between the two. Parkinson's disease is the world's second most common neurodegenerative disorder, behind Alzheimer's disease. It is a degenerative neurological condition, which means that over time the brain of an individual living with the disease becomes more damaged, according to the NHS. Parkinson's disease is the world's second most common neurodegenerative disorder, behind Alzheimer's disease (Getty/iStock) Around 145,000 people in the UK are affected by Parkinson's disease, according to charity Parkinson's UK. Writing in the journal Jama Network Open, Dr Brittany Krzyzanowski said: 'These findings suggest that pesticides applied to golf courses may play a role in the incidence of Parkinson's disease for nearby residents. 'Public health policies to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination and airborne exposure from pesticides on golf courses may help reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease in nearby neighbourhoods.' The research also found that people who get their drinking water from water service areas with a golf course had nearly double the odds of Parkinson's compared to those getting drinking water from water service areas without a golf course. Pesticides such as paraquat and rotenone have been shown to induce Parkinson-like neurodegeneration, the study said. In the UK and the EU, the use of pesticides is strictly controlled, and paraquat is banned due to concerns about their wider health and environmental impacts, Dr Katherine Fletcher, Research Lead at Parkinson's UK, said. The risk for most people in the UK is therefore 'extremely low', she said. Around 145,000 people in the UK are affected by Parkinson's disease, according to charity Parkinson's UK. (Getty/iStock) The US researchers suggested public health policies aimed at reducing the risk of groundwater contamination and airborne exposure from pesticides on golf courses may help reduce the risk of the disease in nearby neighbourhoods. According to the NHS, symptoms of Parkinson's usually develop after the age of 50. However, for one in 20 people affected by the disease, symptoms may appear when they're under the age of 40. Dr Fletcher added: 'Parkinson's is complex. The causes of the condition are unclear and are likely to involve both genetic and environmental factors. Many studies have investigated whether pesticides increase the risk of developing Parkinson's in different populations around the world. 'The results have been varied, but overall suggest that exposure to pesticides may increase the risk of the condition. However, the evidence is not strong enough to show that pesticide exposure directly causes Parkinson's. 'This study supports the association between pesticides and Parkinson's. However, it's quite reductive and doesn't take into account how someone might have been exposed to pesticides at their workplace or whether they have a genetic link to the condition.'
WebMD
09-05-2025
- Health
- WebMD
Living Near a Golf Course Linked to Parkinson's. What to Do
May 9, 2025 – Golf season is here, bringing joy and exercise to many. But new research has linked the links to a dangerous health risk, particularly for those living nearby. People residing within 3 miles of a course faced a greater risk of developing Parkinson's disease, the new study shows. Most of those people -- 90% -- shared a groundwater-sourced water service with the golf course. Others in the study who lived farther away but still shared water service with a golf course also had a higher risk of developing Parkinson's, a brain degeneration disorder that causes severe movement problems. The reason? It could be exposure to pesticides that leach into groundwater and contaminate the drinking supply, the researchers say. 'In certain parts of the country, where summers are hot and humid, golf courses use pesticides to maintain the course aesthetics and keep bugs under control,' said lead author Brittany Krzyzanowski, PhD, a geographer and spatial epidemiologist at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. 'Some of these pesticides have been linked to negative health outcomes including Parkinson's disease,' Krzyzanowski said. 'So it's important to be mindful and take steps to mitigate exposure.' What the Research Shows The analysis included health and residence records for 419 people living in Minnesota and Wisconsin who were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease between 1991 and 2015. They ranged in age from 65 to 80, and the average age was 73. For the comparison group, each person was matched to 20 additional people without Parkinson's of the same age and gender. Here's what the results showed: The odds of developing Parkinson's disease increased 126% for people living within 1 mile of a golf course, compared to living more than 6 miles away. The heightened risk persisted within 3 miles of golf courses, but decreased beyond that. The risk nearly doubled for people with shared water service with a golf course, compared to those without a shared service. The greatest risk was for people living in areas with what's called 'karst topography,' which is 'a region with limestone bedrock that slowly dissolves over time, creating underground voids that allow water from the surface to move more rapidly through it,' Krzyzanowski said. 'This means that pesticides applied to grass or crops can more readily move into the groundwater supply after a rain.' What We Don't Know Like any analysis, this one had limitations. It only looked at data for three years prior to diagnosis. Because Parkinson's can take up to 40 years to develop, the researchers want to do a follow-up study with 40 years of address data to see if there's any difference in the results. That would let them analyze whether risk changes based on how long someone lives near a course. It can't account for changes in pesticide practices over time. 'Our study assumes exposure to pesticides on golf courses occurred many decades ago,' Krzyzanowski said. 'It's possible that the pesticide practices from years ago do not reflect the pesticide practices on these golf courses today.' It can't prove anything. As with any observational study, this one couldn't show that living near a golf course causes Parkinson's disease, only that there appears to be an association between the two. For instance, the researchers noted that they were missing data on occupational history and genetic predisposition – key details that could confound the results. What You Can Do Should you move? The short answer is no. 'At this point, there is no need to consider moving if you live next to a golf course,' Krzyzanowski said. But there are a few things you can do to help minimize exposure to pesticides. Use a carbon water filter or reverse osmosis system. Both are 100% efficient at removing pesticides from drinking water, according to a separate 2024 study. Ask the golf course what days and times they spray. Stay inside on those days. Learn more about your tap water. Krzyzanowski recommends this website by the Environmental Working Group, which lets you search for water quality reports by ZIP code. Keep golfing – but maybe bring your own water. There have not been any studies about Parkinson's risk and frequent golfers, but one study of golf course superintendents showed 'a pattern of pesticides-related cancers and a small portion of the subjects developed Parkinson's disease,' Krzyzanowski said. Check out organic golf courses. Some include Pebble Beach Golf Links in California and Chambers Bay in Washington. There's also a program that certifies golf courses that work to protect natural resources, called the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf. What's Next? Next up for the research team is an analysis of health records for 22 million people on Medicare and data about 16,000 golf courses. There is a weak but possible link between the courses and Parkinson's risk, according to preliminary results. 'We believe that results would strengthen if we had more accurate golf course location data. For this reason, we are working on crowdsourcing a nationwide golf course dataset,' Krzyzanowski said. 'The public can help us build this dataset via the instructions at
Medscape
09-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Residential Proximity to Golf Courses Linked to Parkinson's Disease
Living within a mile of a golf course is associated with a 126% increased risk for Parkinson's disease (PD), possibly due to increased pesticide exposure, results of a population-based case-control study suggest. Results also showed drinking water from groundwater service areas with a golf course was associated with almost a twofold increased risk for the disease. Brittany Krzyzanowski, PhD The study results imply that both vulnerable drinking water and airborne pollutant exposure may contribute to risk of developing PD near golf courses, study investigator Brittany Krzyzanowski, PhD, assistant professor, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, told Medscape Medical News . However, she cautioned that because the study is observational it cannot establish causality and so it is too early to recommend that individuals move away from golf courses. Nevertheless, she added, the results suggest individuals should be aware of the potential risk and take steps to minimize their exposure. The study was published online on May 8 in JAMA Network Open . Novel Research PD is likely caused by a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental factors, including pesticide exposure. Previous research showed pesticides such as paraquat and rotenone induce Parkinson-like neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra, primarily through mechanisms involving oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and dopaminergic neuron apoptosis. Golf courses are frequently treated with pesticides to uphold the visual and maintenance standards of putting greens and fairways. In the United States, the amount of pesticide used on golf courses can be up to 15 times greater than that in European countries. One anecdotal report has suggested that living near golf courses may increase the risk for PD. However, few studies have explored the role of pesticide exposure from golf courses on PD risk, said Krzyzanowski. Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) medical records linkage system, researchers identified patients with PD in Olmstead County, Minnesota, from 1991 to 2015. From medical records, a movement disorder specialist confirmed the PD diagnosis as well as the date of onset. Investigators used home addresses 2 or 3 years prior to PD symptom onset to allow for a delay between potential environmental exposure and development of PD. Address-level data provide the most accurate distance-to-exposure values. The study included 419 individuals with PD, median age of 73 years at diagnosis and 61% men, who were compared with 5113 age- and sex-matched control individuals without the disease. Researchers collected data on 139 golf courses in the 27-county study region. Using satellite imagery, they manually digitized golf course data to confirm the correct placement of golf course boundaries in 2013, the earliest year relevant data were available. After adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, index year (date of PD symptom onset for cases), household income, and urban or rural category, the study found living within one mile of a golf course was associated with 126% increased odds of PD (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.26; 95% CI, 1.09- 4.70; P = .03) compared with those living more than 6 miles from a golf course. The analysis uncovered a modest dose response. The odds of PD increased by 198% at 1-2 miles (aOR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.46-6.06; P = .003), 121% at 2-3 miles (aOR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.06-4.59; P = .03), and 92% at 3-6 miles (aOR, 1.92; 95% CI, 0.91-4.04; P = .09) compared with those living more than 6 miles away. Contaminated Drinking Water? A sensitivity analysis showed the link between proximity to golf course and PD was stronger in urban areas. The authors speculate that greater density surrounding golf courses in urban areas may lead to higher levels of airborne pollutant exposure to nearby residents. Researchers also assessed whether individuals received their drinking water from groundwater sources located either with, or without, a golf course or from private wells. Overall, 77.3% of the study population lived in areas served by groundwater-based water systems. They noted that pesticides used on golf courses can seep into groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water supplies. Results showed that individuals receiving tap water from groundwater service areas with a golf course had nearly a twofold increased risk for PD compared with those in groundwater areas without golf courses (aOR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.20-3.23). They also had a 49% higher risk for PD compared with those using private wells as a drinking water source (aOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.05-2.13). The researchers acknowledged the water distribution process is complex and varies from city to city, so it's possible not everyone within the same water service area shared the same water source. The investigators also determined whether water services areas were within a vulnerable groundwater region, defined as those with coarse texture soils, shallow bedrock, or karst geology. Krzyzanowski explained that karst topography describes a region with limestone bedrock that slowly dissolves over time, creating underground voids that allow water from the surface to move more rapidly through it. 'This means that pesticides applied to grass or crops can more readily move into the groundwater supply after a rain,' the investigators noted. The analysis showed that individuals whose tap water was from service areas with a golf course located in vulnerable groundwater regions were 82% more likely to have PD compared with those in similar areas with a golf course but nonvulnerable groundwater (aOR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.09-3.03). Study limitations included the restricted geographic scope of the population-based dataset and the predominantly White study population. In addition, the lack of occupational history data may have led to exposure misclassification, as some individuals may have spent significant time away from their home address. The study also did not account for other relevant risk factors for PD, such as head trauma or genetic predisposition. Experts Weigh In Commenting on the findings, David Dexter, PhD, director of Research, Parkinson's United Kingdom, raised a number of other potential limitations of the study. In a statement from the Science Media Center, which features expert comment on science news, Dexter noted the study didn't restrict participants to those who lived permanently in the area, an important consideration as PD starts in the brain 10-15 years before diagnosis. 'This would not only affect participants' exposure but also suggests their Parkinson's could have started before they moved around a golf course,' he said. Dexter also noted that 80% of individuals with PD lived in urban areas compared with only 30% of control individuals, so other factors such as air pollution from motor vehicles could have accounted for some of the increased incidence of the disease. He also noted that the drinking water wasn't analyzed for pesticide levels. Commenting on the research for Medscape Medical News , Michael S. Okun, MD, Adelaide Lackner professor of Neurology, University of Florida, and executive director, Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, both in Gainesville, Florida, said the study's findings 'highlight a clear and urgent need to re-evaluate pesticide use on golf courses.' Okun, who is also medial advisor for the Parkinson's Foundation said the link between proximity to golf courses and increased PD risk is 'striking.' 'These results raise concerns about how chemicals applied for aesthetics may silently shape neurological health,' he said. The fact that pesticides used to keep golf courses pristine may be seeping into local water supplies and increasing PD risk 'is a hidden hazard we can no longer ignore,' said Okun.
