Parkinson’s More Common in Northeast and Midwest.

The Tampa Tribune (2/3, http://tinyurl.com/parkinsons-hotspots) reports people with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to be found in the Northeast and Midwest.   “Finding clusters in the Midwest and the Northeast is particularly exciting,” said Dr. Allison Wright Willis, assistant professor of neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine.  ”These are the two regions of the country most involved in metal processing and agriculture, and chemicals used in these fields are the strongest potential environmental risk factors for Parkinson’s disease that we’ve identified so far.”   Genetic factors can explain only a small percent of Parkinson’s cases, Willis believes.  Environmental factors such as prolonged exposures to agricultural herbicides and insecticides and metals such as copper, manganese and lead, are likely more common contributors.   Willis and her colleagues are now planning to studies how exposure to single or combined environmental factors influences Parkinson’s disease risk. 

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