Science has not yet been able to clarify the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, although its appearance in elderly people is linked to genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. A new study published in the journal JAMA Neurology states that prolonged exposure to pesticides increases the risk of developing this neurodegenerative disorder . Specifically, the work talks about products made with DDT, a compound whose use has been banned by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its toxicity, its persistence in the environment for decades and its accumulation in the body. of living beings, including humans.
This research, the result of collaboration between scientists from the American universities of Emory and Texas, has put on the table the incidence of environmental factors in the development of the disease. The authors tested 86 Alzheimer’s patients and 79 healthy people, and found that the former had significantly higher levels of DDE (the long-acting metabolite of the pesticide DDT) in their blood than healthy people. In fact, the amount of this substance present in the body of the patients was sometimes quadruple that of the subjects in the control group.
DDT was used massively as an insecticide throughout the world during the 1940s. At the beginning of this century, however, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified it as a moderately dangerous substance and prohibited its use to protect crops. However, some African countries continue to use it for its proven effectiveness in controlling malaria-transmitting mosquito pests.
According to the researchers, the measurement of DDE levels in blood serum could be established as a clinical measure to identify in advance people with potential risk of suffering from this disease .
