The relationship between Parkinson's disease and prostate cancer and examining artificial light at night as a potential environmental risk factor
Date
2022
Authors
Elarid, Sydney
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Abstract
The incidence rates of Parkinson's disease (PD) and prostate cancer (PC) are rapidly increasing with global urbanization. Some studies have suggested but not confirmed there may be common risk factors shared between the two diseases. Also, epidemiological country wide studies have found these two diseases to be correlated, but few studies have explored this possible correlation over a continent. The first objective of the present study is to explore the possible correlation between PD and PC over continental Europe. While the second objective is to search for potential risk factors that might be common to both PD and PC. This study attempts to clarify one of the possible common risk factors associated with these debilitating diseases, namely artificial light at night (ALAN). By examining and understanding the environmental risk factors associated with the etiology of PD and PC, we can suggest preventative environments to promote better health for the millions of individuals affected globally by these pathologies. The present study will use artificial light at night (ALAN) data gained from orbiting satellite sensors
to calculate the average ALAN/person values for each country under investigation. Countries of interest include 42 European countries. PD and PC country rates were obtained from the Global Health data exchange, providing the prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates from 1990 to 2019. The frequency of internet usage data will come from Eurostat and serve as an alternative marker for exposure to ALAN. The prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates for PD and PC in combination with the average ALAN/person values and average frequent internet use will provide the framework for determining significant predictors of PD and PC using multivariable linear models. When considering all 43 countries over 29 years, the rates of prevalence and incidence between PD and PC were positively correlated between PD and PC (r=0.61 and 0.45, respectively; p < 0.05). However, when looking at individual countries, there was a wide range of correlations across the 43 countries, ranging from very strong positive correlations (e.g., in Cyprus, r=0.98) to very strong negative correlations (e.g., in the Republic of Moldova, r= -0.97). When considering ALAN, the average ALAN/person increased over the 29 years and was positively correlated over time (r=0.41). PD and PC prevalence were also positively correlated to the average ALAN/person (rPD=0.24, rPC=0.30). Average frequent internet usage also increased over time (positively correlated over time [r=1.00]), and positively correlated to the prevalence of PD and PC (rPD=0.51, rPC=0.66; p < 0.05). Multivariable modelling indicated that GDP and the percent of the urban population has a significant (p < 0.05) influence on the multivariable models involving ALAN but not internet usage data, and urbanization had no significant effect on the multivariable model predicting PC with ALAN. This research found trends consistent with past research that observed positive correlations between PD and PC rates, the prevalence of PD and PC to the average ALAN/person, and the prevalence of PD and PC to the average frequent internet use. These data support the hypothesis of a possible link of the environmental factor, ALAN, to rates of PD and PC.