Study: Pesticide linked to Alzheimer’s
By Robin Lally, EcoWatch
Scientists have known for more than 40 years that the synthetic pesticide DDT is harmful to bird habitats and a threat to the environment.
Now researchers at Rutgers University say exposure to DDT — banned in the U.S. since 1972 but still used as a pesticide in other countries — may also increase the risk and severity of Alzheimer’s disease in some people, particularly those over the age of 60.
In a study published online last week in JAMA Neurology, Rutgers scientists discuss their findings in which levels of DDE — the chemical compound left when DDT breaks down — were higher in the blood of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease patients compared to those without the disease.
