Air Pollutant Appears to Increase Risk of Parkinson Disease

Exposure to the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) was significantly associated with a heightened risk of Parkinson disease in a nationally representative cohort from South Korea. Researchers from Asan Medical Center in Seoul published their study in JAMA Neurology.

“This finding suggests the role of air pollutants in Parkinson disease development, advocating for the need to implement a targeted public health policy,” they advised.

The retrospective cohort study included 78,830 adults older than 40 years who lived in Seoul between January 2002 and December 2006. Researchers estimated exposure levels to NO₂, as well as particulate matters (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO), based on participants’ residential addresses. A time-varying 5-year average air pollutant exposure was calculated for each participant to gauge long-term exposure to air pollution.

Among the 78,830 participants, 338 were diagnosed with Parkinson disease during study follow-up through December 2015.

NO₂ exposure, especially at high levels, was significantly linked with incidence of Parkinson disease. Researchers reported a hazard ratio of 1.41 for participants in the highest exposure vs the lowest exposure quartile.

None of the other air pollution exposures investigated in the study showed significant associations with increased Parkinson disease risk.

Reference:
Jo S, Kim YJ, Park KW, et al. Association of NO2 and Other Air Pollution Exposures With the Risk of Parkinson Disease. JAMA Neurol. 2021;78(7):800-808. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.1335