Exposure to air pollution increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease

Higher exposure to air pollution increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD), a study shows published online September 16 JAMA network opened.

Brittany Krzyzanowski, Ph.D., from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, and colleagues assessed whether air pollution is associated with an increased risk of PD and clinical features of PD. The analysis included data from 346 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 4,813 matched controls who participated in the Rochester Epidemiology Project (1998 to 2015).

The researchers discovered that greater exposure to particulate matter with a diameter <2.5 μm (PM_2.5) was associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s, and this risk was greatest for populations within metropolitan centers (odds ratio [OR]1.23) for the highest quintile of PM_2.5 exposure versus the bottom quintile.

An increased risk of PD was also seen with higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) exposure, when comparing the top quintile with the bottom quintile (OR, 1.13). Exposure to air pollution was associated with an increased risk of akinetic rigid presentation (OR per 1 μg/m2).³ increase in PM_2.51.36).

Only among persons with PD is the PM higher_2.5 Exposure was associated with a greater risk of developing dyskinesia (hazard ratio [HR] per 1 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.51.42), as well as increased NO₂ exposure (HR per 1 μg/m³ increase in NO₂1.13).

“Importantly, the US Environmental Protection Agency reduced annual PM in 2024_2.5 standard from 12 μg/m³ up to 9 μg/m³ due to growing evidence of negative health effects at levels below the previously established standard,” the authors write. “Our study not only supports the findings that led to this change, but suggests that the upper limit should be lowered to 8 μg/m2.³.”

One author revealed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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