MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — A new study has found that living in areas of the United States with higher levels of air pollution is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
The study from the American Academy of Neurology, which looked at fine particulate matter, PM2.5, found that people exposed to the highest levels of fine particulate matter had an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease compared to people exposed to the lowest levels. Researchers also identified a Parkinson’s disease hot spot in the Mississippi-Ohio River Valley, which is a region that has some of the highest levels of fine particulate matter pollution in the nation.
The study involved more than 22.5 million people enrolled in Medicare in 2009. Of this group, researchers identified 83,674 people with Parkinson’s disease. Researchers mapped where study participants lived across the U.S. and calculated the rates of Parkinson’s disease for various regions.
“We used geographic methods to examine the rates of Parkinson’s disease across the United States and compared those rates to regional levels of air pollution,” said study author Brittany Krzyzanowski, Ph.D., of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
Krzyzanowski said, “By mapping nationwide levels of Parkinson’s disease and linking them to air pollution, we hope to create a greater understanding of the regional risks and inspire leaders to take steps to lower the risk of disease by reducing levels of air pollution.”
The final report will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023.
The American Academy of Neurology is the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 38,000 members.