Washington, July 15 (IANS) People with Parkinson’s have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer’s, according to a new study.
Researchers found the presence of pesticide beta-HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) in 76 percent people with Parkinson’s, compared with 40 percent of healthy controls and 30 percent of those with Alzheimer’s.

The finding might provide the basis for a beta-HCH blood test to identify individuals at risk for developing Parkinson’s disease.

“There’s been a link between pesticide use and Parkinson’s disease for a long time, but never a specific pesticide,” said Dwight German, senior study co-author from the University of Texas Southwestern (UT-S).

“This is particularly important because the disease is not diagnosed until after significant nerve damage has occurred. A test for this risk factor might allow for early detection and protective treatment.”

About a million people in the US have Parkinson’s, a number expected to rise as the population ages. The disease occurs when brain cells in particular regions die, causing tremors, cognitive problems and a host of other symptoms.

The study involved 113 participants, aged 50 to 89 years. Fifty had Parkinson’s, 43 were healthy and 20 had Alzheimer’s. The researchers tested the subjects’ blood for 15 pesticides.

These pesticides were widely used in the US from the 1950’s to the 1970’s but are more tightly regulated now.

They persist in the environment for years without breaking down. In the body, they dissolve in fats and are known to attack the type of brain nerves that die in Parkinson’s disease, the researchers said.

“Much higher levels of the beta-HCH were in the air, water and food chain when the Parkinson’s patients were in their 20’s and 30’s,” German said. “Also, the half-life of the pesticide is seven to eight years, so it stays in the body for a long time.”

The study appeared in the July issue of Archives of Neurology.