The idea that air pollution can play a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease has been in the news in recent years, and a new study adds to evidence of the association.
Air pollution may raise an individual’s risk of Parkinson’s disease, particularly among those who already have a genetic disposition to develop the disorder, according to a study published Jan. 17 in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
“We discovered that individuals with elevated genetic susceptibility and heightened exposure to air pollutants faced a markedly heightened risk of [Parkinson’s],” the team wrote. “Therefore, applying effective techniques for mitigating air pollution as soon as possible is crucial in order to protect individuals, particularly those having a high genetic sensitivity, from a higher risk of [Parkinson’s] development.”
A team of scientists from China evaluated data from the UK Biobank covering 312,009 people. During the 12-year follow-up period, Parkinson’s disease developed in 0.76% of the people.
The team used genetic data and details on each individual’s exposure to air pollution to come up with a Parkinson’s disease risk score for each person. Then they evaluated those data and found that people had an elevated Parkinson’s risk if they were exposed to particulate matter, specifically PM10 (from smoke and dust) along with nitrogen dioxide (which comes from cars and fossil fields). Those with the most exposure to PM10 had a 20.1% increased risk for the disease, and those with the highest exposure to nitrogen dioxide had a 24.7% higher risk.
The risk for developing Parkinson’s was higher in those who were exposed to pollutants and also had genetic ties to the disease.
“Upon evaluating the compounded effects of genetic predisposition and air pollutant exposure, we detected a considerable amplification in the risk of [Parkinson’s] among participants possessing heightened genetic susceptibility and concurrently exposed to elevated air pollutant concentrations,” the authors wrote.
As a result, the authors said that reducing air pollution levels could be beneficial for those who are genetically predisposed to developing Parkinson’s disease.
