Golf courses are meticulously maintained with a variety of chemicals, including pesticides. But living too close to finely groomed greens and fairways could increase one’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) by up to 126 percent, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.
The article’s authors stress that the research doesn’t establish a strict cause-and-effect relationship between golf course proximity and neurodegenerative disease. They wrote that a “complex interaction” between environmental factors and genetics likely contribute to susceptibility to the disease. However, they identify pesticides as one such factor.
“Golf courses are often treated with pesticides to maintain the aesthetic standards for putting greens and fairways, and in the U.S., pesticide application to golf courses can be up to 15 times higher compared with countries in Europe,” according to the study.
Pesticides Could Contribute to Parkinson's Risk
The researchers identified 419 PD cases close to golf courses. The data showed that living at different distances from courses varied the PD risk. People living within 1 mile of a course were 126 percent more likely to develop PD than those living over 6 miles away. People who shared a water service area with a course were twice as likely to develop PD, compared to individuals who did not share a water service.
To reach these results, researchers tapped into the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) to locate PD patients who lived in Olmstead County, Minnesota from 1991 to 2015. They used other medical records to confirm both the PD diagnosis and the onset date. They also found the patients’ home address 2 or 3 years prior to PD symptom onset to account for a delay in exposure compared to symptom onset.
Read More: Things to Know Before Spraying Pesticides On Your Garden
Golf Courses and Water Sources
The exact relationship between golf courses, water sources and PD cases is likely more complicated and nuanced.
“[…] We acknowledge that the complexity of the water distribution process varies from city to city and therefore it is possible that not all individuals within the same water service area share the same water resource [...],” according to the paper.
The way people get water into their homes varies. Different soil types could also affect the degree to which pesticides and other contaminants reach the groundwater. The data also don’t include airborne pollutants — including automobile exhaust — which could also contribute to the disease.
Still, despite all the caveats, the authors came to a strong conclusion:
“This population-based case-control study provides evidence in support of an association between living within proximity to golf courses and the risk of developing PD,” according to the paper. “Shorter distances from golf courses were associated with an increased risk of PD compared with those living farther away. Associations with the largest increase in odds was found in individuals living within water service areas with a golf course and in vulnerable ground water regions.”
This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
Read More: Early Diagnosis: Could Loss of Smell Cause Dementia or Parkinson's?
Article Sources
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JAMA Network Open. Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease
Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.
