Research Projects - Environmental Health

Environmental issues are part of an encompassing interpretation of health. PHRI has several projects that directly relate healthcare to environmental concerns.

Neurotoxins and Neurodegenerative Disorders in Japanese-American Men Living in Hawaii

The goal of this epidemiologic and neuropathologic program is to determine neurotoxic and preventive/ameliorative risk factors for Parkinson’s disease (PD), Parkinsonism, and other neurodegenerative conditions. The research is an extension of the Honolulu Heart Program/Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HHP/HAAS).

A component of this project is to identify risk factors for PD and Parkinsonism and to confirm previous reports of an association between pesticide exposure and PD by examining the role of exposure to neurotoxins in occupations on sugar or pineapple plantations where pesticides or herbicides are used. The study also looks at self reported exposures to pesticides, metals, and other chemicals.

Results indicate that several organochlorines are detected more frequently in brains of men who also had Parkinson or Alzheimer changes at death. The organochlorine exposure in most of these brains took place as long as 30 years ago. We are beginning to examine the association of these levels with clinical endpoints (Parkinson’s disease, Parkinsonism, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive impairment) and continuing our evaluation of pathologically-detectable endpoints.