Twice As Many Men Get Parkinson's Disease As Do Women

Acute, low-dose, long-term exposure to paraquat in male-dominated occupations like farming could account for the disparity

Monday, August 2, 2021 - Parkinson's disease affects more men than women according to doctors that specialize in the field of neurology, the Washington Post reported recently. Some neurologists say that as many as twice as many of their Parkinson's disease patients are men than women. This anomaly could be because farmers who spray and use paraquat to kill weeds near their crops are predominantly men. According to the Washington Post, "It’s a big difference that is quite real,” says Langston, clinical professor of neurology, neuroscience, and pathology at the Stanford University School of Medicine and associate director of the Stanford Udall Center. It’s pretty dramatic. I think anyone who sees a lot of Parkinson’s will tell you that." Hundreds of Paraquat Parkinson's disease lawsuits have been registered, presumably by men, who allege that inhaling the fumes from the paraquat that they sprayed regularly and for years caused them to develop the deadly neurological disorder.

The WP reports that the reasons for Parkinson's disease affecting more men than women are unclear. One would assume, however, that occupational exposure to paraquat could play a role. Studies indicate that farmers who spray paraquat develop Parkinson's disease by inhaling it. When parquet is inhaled it directly enters the brain. Parkinson's disease experts know that the disorder affects the cells in the brain that produce dopamine, the chemical that coordinates signals between brain cells. Beyond pesticides tells their readers that habitual low-dose exposure to paraquat gradually destroys the olfactory system and kills the sense of smell. BP writes "New research published in the journal Toxicological Sciences finds extended inhalation of the common herbicide paraquat causes male mice to lose some sense of smell, even at low doses." In addition to the sense of smell, Parkinson's disease patients also "disrupts movement, diminishes cognition, and can cause other symptoms, such as slurred speech and depression," according to the WP. Papers and studies published by the National Institute of Health confirm the link between inhaling paraquat and developing Parkinson's. "Paraquat was detected in four regions of the brain as well the lungs and kidney. Levels in the olfactory bulb were substantially higher than in any other brain region, consistent with inhalation exposure through the olfactory system."

Sherlock Holmes is famous for saying "When all other possibilities are eliminated, whatever remains is the answer, no matter how unlikely it may seem." Since researchers are unable to figure out why men are almost twice as likely as women to develop Parkinson's disease, maybe farmers being predominantly men who spray and inhale paraquat is the right answer, or at least is a credible clue. Paraquat is a highly toxic and deadly poison that has been responsible for thousands of accidental poisoning deaths. Paraquat is so toxic that only one sip can kill. Paraquat has earned its reputation as the chemical of choice for people who wish to commit suicide.

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