Scientists have discovered that inhaling tiny air pollution particles may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
It is thought that exposure to tiny fumes from car exhaust and burning wood can cause inflammation in the body, which can trigger the disease. About 8.5 million people worldwide suffer from the disease.
Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world. Two percent of the population aged 70 and over suffer from the disease. This number is expected to triple in the next two decades.
But it’s thought that as many as 20 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease – caused by a loss of brain cells that produce key chemicals – experience symptoms before they reach age 50.
According to neurologist Dr. Anh-Thu Vu, Parkinson’s disease usually occurs in people over the age of 60, but the disease is increasingly common in younger people.
A team of US experts has now published findings suggesting that air pollution could be a possible theory for the rise.
According to neurologist Dr. Anh-Thu Vu, Parkinson’s disease has traditionally been seen in people over 60, but it is increasingly common in younger people
It is thought that exposure to small particles from car exhaust and burning wood can trigger inflammation in the body that can cause the disease, which affects about 8.5 million people worldwide.
The US study identified 346 patients with Parkinson’s disease in Minnesota who were diagnosed between 1991 and 2015.
These patients were then divided into two subgroups: those with faster cognitive decline and slower movements, and those with tremor.
Researchers calculated average annual PM2.5 levels in the atmosphere (polluting particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers) from 1998 to 2019 and nitrogen dioxide levels between 2000 and 2014.
Subsequently, the pollution level was analyzed at the participants’ residential addresses within a radius of 1 km.
PM2.5 are soot particles in the air that are invisible to the human eye, but can penetrate the blood and penetrate deep into the lungs.
Knowledge of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can lead to earlier diagnoses and access to treatments that improve patients’ quality of life.
They can be emitted by car engines, wood burning and smoking.
Although these particles are small, it is thought that to cross the blood-brain barrier in humans, leading to inflammation, oxidative stress, and activated microglia – a cell that can cause inflammation – which can drive the development of Parkinson’s disease.
Data suggests that higher levels of this type of pollution are associated with Parkinson’s disease, compared to lower exposure levels.
Researchers also found that there was a 36 percent increased risk of akinetic rigidity — a type of Parkinson’s that can cause faster cognitive decline and slower movements — presenting with the disease, which causes faster cognitive decline in memory.
Additionally, higher levels of PM2.5 and NO2 were associated with an increased risk of developing dyskinesia, a side effect of Parkinson’s disease that causes involuntary or uncontrolled muscle movements, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
The study authors caution that the findings of this research suggest that reducing air pollution may help reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
In 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency will reduce the annual PM2.5 standard by a quarter due to mounting evidence of negative health effects.
The study authors said: ‘Our study not only supports the findings that led to this change, but also suggests that the upper limit should be lowered to 8 μg/m3 – a level previously advocated by the American Lung Association and other health organisations.
‘It is striking that the World Health Organization recommends a stricter limit and sets their standard at 5 μg/m3.’
Doctors have discovered that Parkinson’s disease is becoming more common in people under the age of 50. The disease is also called young-onset Parkinson’s disease.
Symptoms include:warts of the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face, rstiffness of the limbs and trunk, slow movement and ireduced balance and coordination.
Patients may also experience depression, insomnia, and cognitive problems.
In rare cases, children and teenagers may develop symptoms that resemble those of Parkinson’s disease.
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, this form of the disorder is called juvenile parkinsonism and is often associated with specific genetic mutations.