Study reveals why living near golf course could massively increase your risk of developing Parkinson's disease
A recent study has revealed that living within a mile of a golf course could significantly increase your risk of being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
During an episode of BBC Morning Live, hosts Rav Wilding and Michelle Ackerley spoke with Dr Oscar Duke to discuss the findings of an American study tracking an increase of diagnoses of Parkinson's in people living close to golf courses.
It claims that living within one mile of a golf course could massively increase your risk of developing the neurodegenerative disorder by up to 126%.
The study suggests that regular exposure to the pesticides used on golf courses, either through contaminated water or the surrounding air, could play a significant role in this drastic increase.
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However, Dr Duke advised viewers in the UK not to panic as the study focused mainly on golf courses in the United States.
He said: "In America, they do use different pesticides, and they are allowed to have more chemicals within the pesticides than some of the UK pesticides, so it might not be directly comparable to here anyway.
"But, they found, though, that if you live within a mile of a golf course, you are 126% more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson's than if you live six miles or more away from a golf course.
"Now, of course, that is a worrying statistic, but you've got to think about a lot of the different factors that impact this."
Duke also provided important context about the study's participants, claiming many of them had recently moved near golf courses, saying: "Now, a lot of these people had only recently moved near a golf course, so they hadn't been there perhaps when they first started developing Parkinson's disease, so that can give us reassurance."
Before further reassuring golf fans, saying: "If you are a fan of golf at the moment, you don't need to panic."-
What is Parkinson's disease?
As details on the NHS website, Parkinson's disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years.
The main symptoms of Parkinson's disease include involuntary shaking of specific body parts, slow movement, and stiff, inflexible muscles.
However, people diagnosed with the disorder may also experience a broad spectrum of other physical and psychological symptoms including depression and anxiety, balance issues, loss of sense of smell, sleep disorders, and memory problems.
Legendary boxing icon Muhammad Ali suffered from Parkinson's disease throughout the latter stages of his life after being diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disorder in 1984, 32 years before his death.
Ben McCrum