Those of us of a certain age are especially prone to review obituaries, anticipating the deaths of individuals who played an important role in our lives. Of course, these persons may have been friends, politicians, musicians, performers, writers or other newsmakers and celebrities.
Lately, my perusal of the obits has turned up a surprising number of deaths from Parkinson's Disease. In turn, a brief review of the literature revealed that it is now the fasting growing neurodegenerative disorder across the globe. While advanced age (65 or over) and male gender have long been recognized as major risk factors, environmental pollutants, especially pesticides and herbicides, are thought to be playing a significant role in the dramatic rise in the incidence of this disease.
Indeed, Parkinson's Disease is most common in industrial regions of the globe and in areas where suspected chemical agents are regularly used (e.g. agriculture). Our prolonged inattention to the potential effects of many chemicals and other pollutants, now accumulating in our environment and in our bodies, is responsible for many serious health problems in humans and in other animal populations.
