A recent study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine indicates that long-term exposure to pesticides is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Funded by several French organizations and led by Isabelle Baldi of the French Institute for Public Health, Epidemiology and Development, the study involved about 615 workers in the Bordeaux vineyards of France.
The vineyard workers were enrolled in the research project in 1997 and 1998, and re-evaluated about five years later. At both times they took a series of tests designed to measure verbal skills, reaction times, and memory and recall, amongst others. They also answered detailed questions about their work history.
In tests taken after five years of frequent exposure to bug and week killers used in the vineyards, workers showed a significant drop in test scores on some the key tests in the study and the conclusion is that exposure to pesticides contributes to a loss of mental acuity and/or neurological disorders.
However, the results were not conclusive, according to researchers. Alzheimer’s, or dementia, can have several contributing causes, including inherited genetic tendencies, age and other factors such as alcohol consumption and smoking.
The subjects were divided into groups of those directly, occasionally or never exposed to pesticides over a period of 20 years. The drop in some mental abilities after five years suggests to researchers that the risks increase with prolonged exposure, and another test of the same subjects after 12 years is underway, with results to be published in 2012 or 2013.
Related posts:
- Alzheimer’s may be detected 10 years in advance An inexpensive and simple blood test that can identify the...
- Vitamin B could help with Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s disease could be slowed down or even stopped...
- Zoledronic acid and skin cancer Advancements are being made in the battle against blood cancers,...
- Selectif Pro for unwanted hair For those that are tired of trying to pluck hair,...
- Get out in the sunshine to fight skin cancer Recent study results suggest that hours in sunlight may be...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.