Golf Course Concerns: New Research Shows Link to Parkinson’s
A recent study in Journal of the American Medical Association has caused a stir, showing that living near golf courses is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study demonstrated that those living within a mile of a golf course had a 2.25 times increased risk of developing Parkinson’s as compared to those living more than six miles away, and those living within the water service of a golf course had about a two times increased risk of developing Parkinson’s compared to those living in areas without a golf course. In the study, 90% of people who lived within three miles of a golf course also shared the same water service as the golf course, suggesting that this study could not easily separate out proximity and water supply as factors associated with increased risk of PD.
The study looked at 139 golf courses in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, and evaluated 419 PD cases and 5,113 controls, matched for age and sex and adjusting for variables such as income, and whether the location of the golf course was urban or rural.
The study determined an association between living near a golf course and a higher risk of PD, and not a causation, meaning that the two were linked but not that one necessarily caused the other. The authors hypothesize that pesticide exposure from golf course operations may be the link contributing to the increased risk of Parkinson’s. Pesticides used on golf courses, particularly those in vulnerable groundwater areas, can also contaminate drinking water.
The links between certain pesticides and increased risk of PD have been growing ever stronger over the past few years. APDA has written about this topic, and you may find the following background information helpful:
- The relationship between pesticides and Parkinson’s
- An expert discussion about Parkinsons and the environment
- The Healthy Brain Act takes aim at environmental causes of PD
This current golf course study adds to the growing body of work suggesting that environmental exposures to pesticides contribute to PD risk and need to be mitigated as much as possible.
It is vital to note that while pesticide exposure is certainly a plausible explanation of the association, the study does not determine that pesticide exposure is definitively the causeof the increased risk. There are other possible explanations. For example, perhaps those who live near golf courses don’t do as much aerobic exercise as those who don’t, which could impact their risk of PD. More studies are necessary to firm up the hypothesis that pesticide exposure is the cause of the increased risk of PD in those who live close to a golf course.
The authors acknowledge other limitations of their study. It did not consider the occupation of the cases and controls, which impacts both the amount of time that a person spends away from their home and potential exposures to additional agents. The study also did not assess head trauma, genetic predisposition to PD, or other factors that are known to affect PD risk, in the cases and controls. Another significant limitation of the study is that the home address information was determined relatively close to the onset of symptoms. It is known that the pathology of PD develops decades before the condition is manifest – which would be prior to when the address history was obtained for the study. However, the authors argue that the population under study was geographically stable and did not move a lot. Therefore, they were likely at their address for many years prior to when the home address information was determined for the purposes of the study.
Although the study did not prove that pesticide exposure is the cause of the increased risk of PD in those who live near golf courses or share a water system with a golf course, those that do, may reasonably be concerned about their increased risk of PD. One practical suggestion – investigate whether a water filtration system for your home can help improve the water quality of your drinking water.
APDA and other non-profit groups are working together to advocate for legislative solutions to address environmental toxins that could be contributing to PD risk. These include implementation of the National Parkinson Project and passing of the Health Brains Act. We will keep you posted as new developments unfold.