PD Guide
Occupation
Image from NIEHS, NIHCertain occupations carry an apparent increased risk for PD. These include farming, healthcare work, and teaching (Kirkey et al., 2001; Gorell et al., 1999; Schulte et al., 1996; Frigerio et al., 2005; Goldman et al., 2005). Reasons for this are uncertain but may be due to increased exposure to occupation-specific, potentially pathogenic agents. A long-standing controversy also exists regarding risk of PD in welders. Although there is general agreement about the existence of manganese-induced neurologic disease, whether exposure to welding is a cause for idiopathic PD remains unclear (Kieburtz and Kurlan, 2005).
Reference:
Kirkey KL, Johnson CC, Rybicki BA, Peterson EL, Kortsha GX, Gorell JM. Occupational categories at risk for Parkinson's disease. Am J Ind Med. 2001;39(6):564-71.
Gorell JM, Peterson EL, Rybicki BA, Johnson C. Multiple risk factors for Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Sci. 2004;217(2):169-74.
Schulte PA, Burnett CA, Boeniger MF, Johnson J. Neurodegenerative diseases: occupational occurrence and potential risk factors, 1982 through 1991. American journal of public health. 1996;86(9):1281-8.
Frigerio R, Elbaz A, Sanft KR, Peterson BJ, Bower JH, Ahlskog JE, et al. Education and occupations preceding Parkinson disease: a population-based case-control study. Neurology. 2005;65(10):1575-83.
Goldman SM, Tanner CM, Olanow CW, Watts RL, Field RD, Langston JW. Occupation and parkinsonism in three movement disorders clinics. Neurology. 2005;65(9):1430-5.
Kieburtz K, Kurlan R. Welding and Parkinson disease: is there a bond? Neurology. 2005;64(12):2001-3.