Are Pesticides a Risk Factor for Alzheimer Disease?

Evidence suggests that long-term pesticide exposure may have toxic effects on the central nervous system. In the U.S., older adults are most likely to have been exposed to persistent pesticide such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), which was in use from the 1940s through 1972. Some studies have shown an elevated risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson disease associated with occupational pesticide exposure. To examine the association between DDT exposure and AD risk, researchers conducted a case–control study, using serum samples taken from patients with AD and controls in Texas and Georgia between 2002 and 2008. There were a total of 165 samples, representing 79 control and 86 AD cases (94 women, 71 men; women comprised 60% o…