Exposure to an Industrial Chemical Linked to Later Parkinson’s Disease

Clinical Takeaway

: Do you ask about environmental exposures in your practice?

Context

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an industrial chemical that commonly contaminates the water supply. Several studies have linked exposure to occupational TCE and TCE-contaminated drinking water with raised risks for Parkinson’s disease (PD). To investigate whether exposure to ambient (that is, outdoor air) TCE affects later PD diagnoses, researchers analyzed data on 220,000 U.S. Medicare beneficiaries (age, ≥67) diagnosed with PD from 2016 to 2018, each matched to five control Medicare beneficiaries without PD. The researchers gathered data on ambient TCE at the census-tract level.

Key Results

TCE ambient concentrations in 2002 and later risk for PD showed a dose-dependent association.
Exposure to the top decile of ambient TCE levels was asso…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, M.D.

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)