Studies by highly accredited Mayo Clinic and Barrow Neurological researchers report finding an association between living in close proximity to a golf course and an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The study was recently published at MedicalXpress.com.

In the population-based study entitled Proximity to Golf Courses, individuals living within a one-to-two-mile radius of a golf course had triple the odds of having PD. The residents mostly at risk are those living in service regions that are susceptible to contamination from ground water.

Living one to two miles from a golf course caused 198% higher PD odds compared to residents living two to three miles from the course. The risk declined by about 13% for every mile.

Europe vs. US

The United States uses pesticides at levels up to fifteen times higher than Europeans. The study involved 419 participants with PD and 5,113 matching controls. The data were taken from a Rochester Epidemiology study covering 27 counties in western Wisconsin and southern Minnesota from1991 through 2015.

The PD medical records were reviewed by a specialist in movement disorders. The controls were compared according to sex, age, and index date which was defined in accordance with the PD onset for comparable controls.

Golf course data assessing the property address according to the nearest golf course were mapped by using satellite imagery which was calculated according to residential longitude and latitude within three years prior to the onset of PD symptoms. The U.S. Geological Survey categorized regions according to the absence or presence of golf courses. Data on susceptible areas was provided by Minnesota’s Department of Groundwater based on bedrock depth, texture of soil and wells listed as deep or shallow.

Implementing groundwater protective measures and addressing pesticide practices on golf courses may reduce risk of exposure.