PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AT WORK LINKED TO HIGHER ALS RISK

A combined analysis of eight studies has found that occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). According to the analysis, people who had ever been exposed to pesticides at work—including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides—were 61 per cent more likely to develop the disease compared to those with no such exposure. One report suggested the increase could reach 71 per cent. The study pooled data from five investigations conducted in the United States, alongside separate studies from Canada and France, Italy, and Australia.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is the most common form of motor neurone disease, a neurodegenerative condition affecting the ability to speak, eat, breathe and swallow. Official data indicates that people diagnosed with ALS survive on average 2–3 years after diagnosis, with most cases occurring between the ages of 40 and 70. Men are approximately 20 per cent more likely to develop ALS than women, and the disease occurs sporadically in over 90 per cent of patients, meaning the majority have no known family history or identified genetic cause. The exact triggers of both sporadic and familial forms remain poorly understood, though researchers suspect an interaction between genes and environment.

The pesticide analysis found that occupational exposure appeared more strongly linked to ALS risk in men than in women. However, researchers cautioned that whilst several studies have found associations between pesticide exposure and higher ALS risk, a causal relationship has not been established. The findings add to decades of investigation into pesticides as a possible environmental trigger for the disease.