Rise In Parkinsons Disease Linked To Common Household Chemical
Scientists believe a ubiquitous environmental contaminant used in household products such as carpet cleaners, shoe polishes, and carpet cleaners might be responsible for the development of neurodegenerative movement disorders such as Parkinsons disease . Parkinsons disease is already one of the fastest-growing neurological disorders globally, with developing nations reporting an increase of over 30% in the last ten years. The number expects to double again in the next 25 years. Currently, many cases of Parkinsons disease are diagnosed as idiopathic , Yet leading neurologists believe that one of the primary reasons for the rapid growth is due to a universal organic solvent is known as Trichloroethylene .
Dont Be Afraid To Ask For Help
There are people on this earth who actually dont mind cleaning. Some folks do it for a living or for supplemental income. If you have the financial means to hire professional cleaners, great! If youre the parent of a child who is looking for ways to increase their allowance, theres a good bargaining tool. If someone you know has fallen on hard times and wants to make a few extra bucks, this would be a classic win-win.
Sometimes you have to put your ego or pride aside and ask for assistance when needed. Divide the tasks among your loved ones. It can be your spouse, partner, child, friend, coworker, neighborwhomever. Having someone help you clean will lighten the load, and together, youll be twice as efficient with time left over to socialize and have fun.
Look at it this way, if someone who cares about you realized the extra time and energy required for a person with Parkinsons to do their chores compared to a person without PD, they would be happy to assist. Likewise, if they understood these tasks were taking away valuable time that you could otherwise spend hanging out with them, they would not hesitate to help.
Exposure To Solvent Tce May Increase Risk Of Parkinsons Disease: Study
Solvents found in industrial cleaning chemicals and metal degreasers could increase the risk of Parkinsons disease by a factor of ten, according to the findings of a new study.
Researchers from The Parkinsons Institute found strong associations between Parkinsons disease and exposure to tricholoethylene and perchloroethylene . The findings of the study were published this week online by the Annals of Neurology.
PERC, also known as tetrachloroethylene, and TCE are both industrial solvents used in paint removers, metal cleaners and degreasers, spot removers and carpet cleaning solutions. They are some of the most common pollutants in groundwater, and are also found in air and soil as well.
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Cubii Pro Seated Under Desk Elliptical Machine
Courtesy: Cubii
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Fits under your desk or in front of your couch for more exercise opportunities
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Can be synced to your device to track your mobility throughout the day
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Quiet, low-impact exercise
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Very heavy would be hard to relocate or move into new position
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Some users report that the app is ineffective or unreliable
While there is no cure for Parkinsons, a combination of exercise and the proper pharmacological therapy can alleviate symptoms, says Dr. Nwabuobi. Animal data suggests that exercise affects dopaminergic neurotransmission and neuroplasticity. Clinically, it helps patients maintain their balance, mobility and activities of daily living, she explains further. The Cubii Pro Seated Elliptical Machine is a great way to get in physical activity throughout the day, whether doing work at your desk or lounging on the couch. Its able to sync with smartphones and fitness trackers to keep an accurate record of your pedaled distance, calories burned, and more.
The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook
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More than 500 recipes from Americas Test Kitchen
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No unusual or hard-to-find ingredients needed
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Nutritional information included for every recipe
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Recipes aren’t always beginner-friendly
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May not work for home chefs on a limited budget
Most health conditions come with a few lifestyle changes. For Parkinsons, changing your diet is highly recommended. Dr. Nwabuobi advises patients to incorporate lots of vegetables, high fiber, nuts, legumes, and whole grains into their diet. Due to these elements, a Mediterranean diet is a good model for how to start. The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook comes with over 500 recipes that bring the best of Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, and more to your kitchen. Each recipe puts a new twist on the traditional Mediterranean diet and makes meals easy to cook, which is perfect for weeknight dining when energy is already low.
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Plan Ahead And Set Reasonable Goals
Some folks despise To-Do Lists others cant function without them. If you fall in the first category, we implore you to give it a try.
Consider planning the next days activities the night beforenot just the chores you want to accomplish that day, but all of your activities, including eating, exercise, recreation, medical appointments, social engagements and bedtime. Space them out throughout the day. Do the things that take more energy when you are feeling your best or when your medication is most effective.
Above all, set realistic goals for yourself. It can feel very disheartening when you dont accomplish every task on your To-Do List. Dont put too many things on your list. Set the bar low and raise it as needed. You may need to cut down on some of your activities, and thats O.K. You dont have to do things the same way youve always done them.
Study Links Exposure To Trichloroethylene Used As A Dry Cleaning Agent And In Home Use Products Like Glue And Paints With Parkinson’s
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Common chemical solvents significantly increase the risk of Parkinsons Disease, an international study on twins has found for the first time.
This is the first report of this specific exposure being related to Parkinsons Disease in a population-based study, Dr. Connie Marras, a neurologist at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto, told the Star.
Ninety-nine pairs of identical and fraternal twins, all of them part of a study group composed of World War II veterans, were examined for lifetime hobbies and jobs. They were in the study because one twin in each set had Parkinsons. Twins are also studied because they have identical or similar gene structures which can eliminate gene risk factors.
Experts then determined what their exposure would be to six solvents, three of which have been used extensively worldwide for decades.
The most significant link was found with trichloroethylene, or TCE, used as a dry cleaning and degreasing agent and in common household products such as typewriter correction fluid, glue, paints, carpet cleaners and spot removers.
There are also suspicious signals for PERC and carbon tetrachloride, said Marras. We need another study with a larger sample.
Parkinsons Disease is a baffling, incurable brain disorder that causes tremors and degenerates muscle coordination.
And because the men studied came from all walk of life, the results are valid across the general population.
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How Parkinsons Spoons Work
Most Parkinsons spoons are weighted to help keep them stable despite shaking hands, which occur with resting tremors.
A resting tremor typically affects the hands. This can make holding eating utensils and moving them from a plate or bowl to the mouth without spilling the food difficult.
Parkinsons spoons can remain stable even as the hand shakes with tremors. The person using a Parkinsons spoon can keep the food on the spoon without spilling it. Therefore, the feeding process may become more manageable and less frustrating.
What The Experts Say
Parkinson’s disease can sometimes interfere with an individual’s ability to regulate body temperature, which can make the colder weather less tolerable, says physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Ileana Howard, M.D. Layering warm clothing can sometimes help reduce symptoms associated with the cold.
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Lrrk2 Rodent Models And Lysosome Biology
Following the discovery of PD pathogenic mutations in LRRK2 , a vast number of genetically modified animal models have been developed, with the mouse taking the center stage among different species. These models have been engineered in various ways, deleting the murine Lrrk2 gene , expressing the human or murine Lrrk2 via cDNA and BAC, or introducing PD mutations in the murine genome . Phenotyping has mostly focused, especially in the early years, on histology, motor phenotypes and neurophysiology with the aim of providing predictive validity for preclinical drug testing. The reader can refer to several authoritative reviews regarding these studies in LRRK2 animals . In this article, I will focus the attention on insights toward lysosomal biology and dysfunction gathered from LRRK2 rodent models, a section of the LRRK2 field that still needs deep exploration.
Fig. 2
If The Words Spring Cleaning Make You Groan Out Loud Dont Worry We Found Some Shortcuts To Make Cleaning With Parkinsons Easier
Much like paying your taxes or waiting in long lines at the post office, cleaning your home is one of lifes necessities that few people enjoy doing, but it has to be done. However, cleaning tends to get a little more complicated when you have Parkinsons disease.
Fatigue, stiffness, tremors and other motor symptoms of PD can turn ordinary tasks, such as washing dishes, ironing clothes or scooping the litter box, into monumental feats that suck up most of your time and energy. Before you know it, youre too exhausted to make dinner, fit in a workout or socialize with friends and family.
If that sounds like you, dont worry! This is a common predicament for the millions of people around the world with health issues. Fortunately, there are shortcuts that can make cleaning with Parkinsons quicker and easier, sparing you enough time and energy to enjoy the rest of your day. Here are our five best tips.
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Rates Of Parkinsons Disease Are Exploding A Common Chemical May Be To Blame
Researchers believe a factor is a chemical used in drycleaning and household products such as shoe polishes and carpet cleaners in the US
Asked about the future of Parkinsons disease in the US, Dr Ray Dorsey says, Were on the tip of a very, very large iceberg.
Dorsey, a neurologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center and author of Ending Parkinsons Disease, believes a Parkinsons epidemic is on the horizon. Parkinsons is already the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world in the US, the number of people with Parkinsons has increased 35% the last 10 years, says Dorsey, and We think over the next 25 years it will double again.
Most cases of Parkinsons disease are considered idiopathic they lack a clear cause. Yet researchers increasingly believe that one factor is environmental exposure to trichloroethylene , a chemical compound used in industrial degreasing, dry-cleaning and household products such as some shoe polishes and carpet cleaners.
To date, the clearest evidence around the risk of TCE to human health is derived from workers who are exposed to the chemical in the work-place. A 2008 peer-reviewed study in the Annals of Neurology, for example, found that TCE is a risk factor for parkinsonism. And a 2011 study echoed those results, finding a six-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinsons in individuals exposed in the workplace to trichloroethylene .
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Adrienne Matei is a freelance journalist
The Link Between Parkinsons Disease And Toxic Chemicals
A new book calls the increasing prominence of Parkinsons a man-made pandemic.
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Michael Richard Clifford, a 66-year-old retired astronaut living in Cary, N.C., learned before his third spaceflight that he had Parkinsons disease. He was only 44 and in excellent health at the time, and had no family history of this disabling neurological disorder.
What he did have was years of exposure to numerous toxic chemicals, several of which have since been shown in animal studies to cause the kind of brain damage and symptoms that afflict people with Parkinsons.
As a youngster, Mr. Clifford said, he worked in a gas station using degreasers to clean car engines. He also worked on a farm where he used pesticides and in fields where DDT was sprayed. Then, as an aviator, he cleaned engines readying them for test flights. But at none of these jobs was he protected from exposure to hazardous chemicals that are readily inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Now Mr. Clifford, a lifelong nonsmoker, believes that his close contact with these various substances explains why he developed Parkinsons disease at such a young age. Several of the chemicals have strong links to Parkinsons, and a growing body of evidence suggests that exposure to them may very well account for the dramatic rise in the diagnosis of Parkinsons in recent decades.
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Drink Water And Rest Between Chores
Consider including periods of rest on your To-Do List, especially in between chores. Do not plan activities right after you eat. Rest 20 to 30 minutes after each meal. People with PD are even encouraged to rest between recreation and leisure activities.
If you become fatigued during an activity, dont push yourself to keep going. Stop, rest and drink water. If you have swelling in your feet or ankles, elevate your legs when resting. You may need to finish your chores another day or when you feel less tired. Rome wasnt built in a day. Cleaning your home doesnt have to be done in a day either.
Keep in mind that the concept of rest is open to interpretation. Maybe it means reading a book or magazine for 30 minutes. Perhaps its watching an episode of your favorite show or taking a nap. Whatever you define as rest, be sure to get plenty of it throughout the day.
Parkinson’s Is The World’s Fastest
According to the National Cancer Institute, trichloroethylene is found in “cleaning wipes, aerosol cleaning products, tool cleaners, paint removers, spray adhesives, and carpet cleaners and spot removers.” It was also used as an anesthetic until it was banned in the United States in 1977. “Prolonged or repeated exposure of trichloroethylene causes kidney cancer. Some evidence suggests that it may be associated with an increased risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, possibly, liver cancer.”
TCE could also be behind the alarming rise in Parkinson’s Disease, says Ray Dorsey, a neurologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center and author of Ending Parkinson’s Disease. Over the last 10 years, the number of people with Parkinson’s in the United States has increased 35%, according to The Guardian. “We think over the next 25 years it will double again,” Dorsey told the paper.
From The Guardian:
Its known relationship to Parkinson’s may often be overlooked due to the fact that exposure to TCE can predate the disease’s onset by decades. While some people exposed may sicken quickly, others may unknowingly work or live on contaminated sites for most of their lives before developing symptoms of Parkinson’s.
The EPA estimates that 250m lb of the chemical are still used annually in the US, and that in 2017, more than 2m lb of it was released into the environment from industrial sites, contaminating air, soil, and water.
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Lysosomal Function And Parkinsons Disease
The involvement of lysosomes in PD emerged from two main observations:
Our group also observed that LRRK2 kinase activity mildly affects autophagic flux in cells, while more potently modulating lysosomal biology with a direct impact on aSyn handling . Consistently, previous studies in vivo indicated that G2019S-LRRK2 augments aSyn accumulation in mouse models of neuropathology based on viral delivery of aSyn or inoculation of synthetic fibrils . As mentioned earlier, pharmacological inhibition and gene silencing are effective approaches to counteract aSyn neuropathology in the preclinical setting and are currently under clinical trials in humans .
What Herbicide Is Linked To Parkinsons
Parkinsons disease is caused by the loss of dopamine-releasing nerve cells in the part of the brain called substantia nigra. Dopamine helps coordinate movement in the body.
So when these nerve cells are impaired, our motor function is affected. Thats when hallmark Parkinsons disease symptoms including difficulty balancing, tremors, and slowed movement start to set in.
But aside from biological and genetic factors, research has shown that environmental exposure to toxicants such as pesticides, pollutants, and herbicides may also trigger Parkinsons disease.
In fact, aside from trichloroethylene, several environmental factors have also been associated with the development of the disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the popular herbicide known as Paraquat is a highly toxic substance which can put people at risk for severe poisoning in case of exposure.
Research has also suggested that people exposed to this herbicide may develop Parkinsons disease. In fact, the first Paraquat lawsuit back in 2017 was filed in behalf of agricultural workers and farmers who subsequently developed Parkinsons after occupational exposure to the substance.
The potentially harmful herbicide has since been banned in more than 50 countries, including China, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and other European Union nations. However, to this day, it is still widely used by farmers as a weed killer in the United States.
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Several Countries And States Have Regulated Or Banned Tce
In the European Union, TCE can only be used with special authorization. In May 2020, Minnesota was the first U.S. state to ban the use of TCE, with New York following shortly behind.
In 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also concluded that TCE presents unreasonable risks to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders.
With the carcinogenic effects and now potential risk for TCE-associated Parkinsons disease, environmental and health agencies are to be brought down on toxic chemicals like TCE, but further action has yet to be taken by the EPA or other United States authorities.