Exposure to chemicals can increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s disease is a condition that affects the brain, making it difficult for those affected to move and balance.
It appears that a chemical called TCE, or trichlorethylene, increases the risk of developing this disease.
A recent study suggests that consuming high amounts of TCE for two years can increase your chances of developing Parkinson’s disease by 70%.
What is TCE?
TCE is a liquid that has seen many uses over the past 100 years. It was previously used as an anesthetic during surgeries until it was banned in 1977.
More recently it has been used to remove grease from objects. Nowadays it is mainly used to clean metal parts in factories.
The problem is that TCE turns into vapor when heated and can get into the air, water and soil where it lingers for a long time.
The study: TCE and Parkinson’s disease
In the study, the researchers looked at about 160,000 people who had been in the Navy and were Navy veterans.
Half of them were from a place called Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where TCE was widely used and got into the water. The other half came from Camp Pendleton, California, where the water was clean.
The researchers found that people from Camp Lejeune were 70% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than people from Camp Pendleton.
The median age at which people developed Parkinson’s disease was 54 in Lejeune and 53 in Pendleton. This shows that it took a long time for the disease to appear after people were around TCE.
TCE in the general population
It’s not just people in the military who have to worry about TCE. Samuel M. Goldman, MD, MPH, one of the researchers, pointed out that TCE can be found in water supplies in many parts of the United States.
TCE is still widely used and more of it is manufactured today than in the past. It’s hard to know if you’ve dealt with TCE before unless you’ve worked with it directly.
Although our bodies can clear TCE quickly, many people still have some amount in their bodies.
Early signs of Parkinson’s disease
The researchers also found that people from Camp Lejeune were more likely to have early signs of Parkinson’s disease.
These may include loss of smell, trouble sleeping, feeling anxious or depressed, and constipation.
While few people with these signs actually develop Parkinson’s, it’s still a good idea to keep an eye out for them.
Caroline M. Tanner, MD, Ph.D., another researcher, explained that these early signs can be used to predict whether someone might develop Parkinson’s in the future.
People from Camp Lejeune scored higher on a test that measures these signs, meaning they may be more likely to develop Parkinson’s later.
If you are interested in Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about it Vitamin E, which may help prevent Parkinson’s diseaseAnd Vitamin D could benefit people with Parkinson’s disease.
For more information on brain health, see recent studies on new ways to treat Parkinson’s disease and the results showing that COVID-19 may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The study was published in JAMA Neurology.
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