How living next to a golf course could increase risk of Parkinson’s

Living within close proximity to a golf course can increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study has suggested.

American researchers have found that the pesticides used by greenkeepers to maintain the fairways and greens could be triggering the disease by filtering into water sources or the atmosphere.

Research from scientists at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona focused on health data from those living close to 139 golf courses across southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

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And they discovered that those living within one mile from a golf course have their risk doubled of developing the neurological condition.

People within that radius had a 126% increased chance of getting the disease in comparison to those who lived six or more miles away from a course.

Dr Brittany Krzyzanowski said: “These findings suggest that pesticides applied to golf courses may play a role in the incidence of Parkinson’s disease for nearby residents.

“Public health policies to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination and airborne exposure from pesticides on golf courses may help reduce risk of Parkinson’s disease in nearby neighbourhoods.”

Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease and the Parkinson’s UK charity says around 145,000 people in the UK are affected by the condition.

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The notion of a direct increased risk for those living in proximity to golf courses, however, has been dismissed by the research lead at the charity.

Dr Katherine Fletcher said: “Many studies have investigated whether pesticides increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s in different populations around the world.

“The results have been varied, but overall suggest that exposure to pesticides may increase the risk of the condition.

“However, the evidence is not strong enough to show that pesticide exposure directly causes Parkinson’s. In Europe and the UK, the use of pesticides is strictly controlled, and some – like paraquat – are banned, due to concerns about their wider health and environmental impacts.

“So, the risk of exposure to these for most people is extremely low.”