Study reveals connection between air pollution and Parkinson’s disease

A new study led by researchers at Barrow Neurological Institute has found that people living in regions with median levels of air pollution have a 56% greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to those living in regions with the lowest level of air pollution.

The study was published online on October 30 in the medical journal “Neurology.”

Dr. Brittany Krzyzanowski, a researcher for the Barrow Neurological Institute, joined Arizona Horizon to discuss the findings of the study.

Dr. Krzyzanowski said the reason they chose the median is because their data showed the relationship plateaued at the highest levels of air pollution.

“We have an association between air pollution at the neighborhood level,” Dr. Krzyzanowski said, “and your risk of later developing incident Parkinson’s disease.”

Dr. Krzyzanowski explained how air pollution is usually talked about in the size of the particle. In their study, they looked at PM2.5, or particulate matter, where levels in the air are unhealthy.

Phoenix has a risk of Parkinson’s disease that is 19% lower compared to the rest of the nation.

“Even though Phoenix is low at risk for Parkinson’s disease, moving from one neighborhood with low air pollution into another neighborhood with higher air pollution will result in a greater risk,” Dr. Krzyzanowski said.