health
Common chemicals increase Parkinson's disease risk
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 28, 2011
Repeated exposure to two common chemical solvents increases people's risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study published online Nov. 14 in Annals of Neurology.
Researchers examined the histories of 99 pairs of twins in which one twin developed Parkinson's and the other did not. Participants were part of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council World War II Veteran Twins Cohort.
Researchers calculated the twins' lifelong exposure to six chemicals: carbon tetrachloride, n-hexane, perchloroethylene (PERC), trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene and xylene. They found that twins who were exposed to TCE were about six times as likely to develop the neurological disorder as those who did not have contact with the chemical. The disease was nine times more common in people exposed to TCE or PERC than those without exposure to the chemicals (link).
PERC is the main chemical used in garment dry cleaning, and TCE is a metal degreasing agent, the National Institutes of Health said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/11/28/hlbf1128.htm.
