Your patient’s summer sanctuary may be a hidden Parkinson’s hotspot
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
"This isn’t about golf—it’s about pesticides, environmental exposures, and preventable risks hiding in plain sight. If we don’t shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention, the burden will become unmanageable. Who will this affect? Everyone." — Michael S. Okun, MD, medical advisor for the Parkinson's Foundation
If your patients live within a few miles of a golf course, they may want to pay attention—and not because of tee times or turf fees.
A new case-control study in JAMA Network Open has revealed a striking association: Living within 1 to 3 miles of a golf course may more than double your odds of developing Parkinson’s disease. []
Let’s be clear: This isn’t about golf. As Michael S. Okun, MD, medical advisor for the Parkinson's Foundation, pointed out on Instagram, this is about pesticides, water safety, and a mounting public health concern hiding in plain sight.
The data: An eye-popping signal
Conducted by Brittany Krzyzanowski and colleagues, the study explored Parkinson’s disease incidence in relation to residential proximity to golf courses across various water service areas. The findings were as unsettling as they were specific:
Parkinson’s risk peaked for individuals living within 1-3 miles of a golf course.
Risk decreased the farther residents lived from the course.
The strongest effect sizes were found in areas dependent on municipal well water, particularly where groundwater vulnerability was high.
The underlying concern? Chronic exposure to pesticides that may seep into drinking water—especially in regions where water sourcing intersects with aggressive landscaping practices.
Related: Data shows more people are getting Parkinson’s younger—but why?The bigger picture: A preventable epidemic
Parkinson’s disease is on a steep incline. According to Dr. Okun, there are now 11.8 million cases globally—a number expected to rise rapidly in the coming years. And yet, he notes, only 2 to 3 cents of every Parkinson’s dollar is allocated to prevention.
“We need a Parkinson’s plan,” he says bluntly.
What should clinicians take from this?
This isn’t a call to start warning patients off their golf memberships. It’s a prompt to ask deeper questions about their environment—especially for those in rural or semi-rural settings with well water and visible pesticide use.
As clinicians, it’s time to:
Stay current on emerging environmental risk factors
Take exposure history seriously—especially in cases of early or idiopathic Parkinson’s
Push for public health efforts that shift from reactive treatment to proactive environmental health screening and regulation