Parkinson’s risk higher for those living close to a golf course: study – GLOBAL

May 13, 2025

Living near a golf course might come with an unexpected health concern: a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study.

The study, published May 8 in JAMA Network Open, found a potential link between living near golf courses, where pesticides are commonly used, and higher rates of the neurodegenerative condition.

It found people living within one mile (1.6 kilometre) of a golf course have a 126 per cent higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to living more than six miles (9.6 kilometres) away, said co-author Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurologist and the director of the Center for the Brain and the Environment at Atria Health and Research Institute in New York.

“This isn’t the first study that links Parkinson’s disease with pesticides. This just adds additional evidence that this isn’t just happening among farmers. This is happening to people living in suburban areas that have an increased risk of getting Parkinson’s disease simply because of where they live,” he said.

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/11175291/parkinsons-disease-linked-living-near-golf-course-study/