We know that Parkinsonโs Disease ย (PD) can affect your golf game, but did you know that golf can affect your Parkinsonโs Disease.ย A new study published in JAMA Network Open found that people who live within a mile of a golf course have a 126% increase in risk of developing Parkinsonโs disease. And the answer is not being hit by an errant golf ball.ย The reason appears to be exposure to pesticides.
Indeed the risk increases with the proximity to the golf club. In fact, the study showed this effect is seen with proximity of up to 3 miles of a golf course and the risk was largest in golf courses with vulnerable groundwater areas. One theoretical link is exposure due to drinking water contamination from municipal wells.
This is not entirely surprising as Parkinsonโs Disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetics.ย Pesticides have long been linked to PD and neurotoxicities from contaminated water associated with the development of PD, as in the famous Camp Lejeune litigation. Pesticides such as paraquat and rotenone, which have been applied to golf courses for many years, have been shown to induce Parkinson-like neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra, primarily through mechanisms involving oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and dopaminergic neuron apoptosis.
Pesticides are used to maintain the aesthetics of the greens and fairways on golf courses. The risk is actually greater in the US than in Europe as the application of pesticides to golf coursesย is often as much as 15 times higher as compares to Europe. Besides potential neurotoxicity from drinking water contamination from these pesticides, there may also be airborne exposure playing a role in the increased PD risk from living near a golf course. This study suggests that the airborne exposure extends for one to two miles from a golf course. While the increased risk of developing Parkinsonโs Disease in avid golfers may not be surprising, the increased risk to non-golfers living nearby has not previously been widely known or suspected.
This study used home addresses two or three years prior to onset of PD symptoms. What remains unclear is how much greater is the risk for people living near golf courses for a decade or more and if the risk is different for children growing up with this exposure. Another important question is whether the risk from proximity to a golf course is magnified in people with a predisposition to PD.
Becare Link can help you assess your neurological exam and help you detect the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease. If you are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Becare Parkinson’s app can help you monitor your responseย to different treatments. Be empowered, take hold of your neurologic health.