Being exposed to a chemical found in both industrial and consumer products may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a new study shows.
U.S. researchers have linked a likelihood of developing Parkinson’s to trichloroethylene (TCE), a chemical used to degrease metal that is found in wood finishes, adhesives, paint removers and stain removers.
The study published May 15 in the medical journal JAMA Neurology shows those exposed to TCE through water had a 70 per cent higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
The neurological condition is characterized as a movement disorder, which can be seen in the slowness of walking, talking, rigidity and postural instability. There is no cure for Parkinson's but treatment and therapies can relieve some symptoms.
The study used a cohort of 340,489 military personnel in the U.S. who were stationed between 1975 and 1985 for at least three months. Just under half (158,122) had health data available.
From there researchers determined where people were stationed and if they developed Parkinson’s through a follow-up done between January 1997 and February 2021.
According to the study, a total of 430 veterans had Parkinson’s, of which 279 were stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and 151 from Camp Pendleton in California.
"In multivariable models, Camp Lejeune veterans had a 70 per cent higher risk of PD," the study reads. "Camp Lejeune veterans also had a significantly increased risk of prodromal PD diagnoses, including tremor, anxiety, and erectile dysfunction, and higher cumulative prodromal risk scores."
Dr. Robert Chen, a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, told CTV's Your Morning on Tuesday that military personnel like those in the study are exposed to TCE more than an average person.
"I think most people are exposed to (at a) much lower level," he said. "But I think we need to better understand what (the) risks are, and maybe to the other chemicals as well. So I think more research needs to be done."
Chen says toxins in the environment aren’t the only factor in a person developing Parkinson’s. Genetics also play a role.
"There are a number of factors that impact the multifactorial issue of what causes the genetic factors," he said. "I think these studies show that these environmental factors when toxins could be one of these factors, I think that could increase the risk of Parkinson's in the number of people."
He also said the chemical is not widely used in public life and is mostly used in industrial sectors.
"I don't think there needs to be a general alarm," he said. "Even this study, the percentage is actually less than 1 per cent of people who are exposed got diagnosed with Parkinson's disease…So I think it is something that we need to be aware of."
Research into why some people develop Parkinson's and a cure for the disease is ongoing but studying the effects of certain chemicals on patients, Chen says, helps piece together the public risks.
"I think this type of research will tell us more about the different factors including different environmental factors," he said. "I think it opens up the field to research more environmental factors, which is combined with other factors such as genetic factors, or even like head trauma, for example, that it can increase the risk of Parkinson's disease."
To see the full interview with Dr. Robert Chen, click the video at the top of this article.
A previous version of this article said TCE was in paint, this is incorrect. The error has now been corrected.
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