Parkinsons, Pesticides and Poverty–The Dilemma of Latino Denial

Photo: Flix Saldaa, above, initially ignored his tremors until a a doctor diagnosed him with Parkinsons. (Yolanda Gonzlez Gmez/HuffPost Voces)

Part 1

DALLAS, Texas--Since Flix Saldaa immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1975, his world revolved around going up and down the high pallets, wooden structures and operating machinery in his construction work, which he performed without problems for years, probably strengthened by his years as an amateur boxer in Mexico.

Over time, he became a supervisor in his company, until one day, at age 46, Saldaa began to feel his hands trembling, his legs stiffen and extreme fatigue set in. He also began to suffer frequent falls.

Saldaa thought that such discomforts were normal for his work until his sudden inability to tun his head while using equipment and he

Hispanics and Parkinsons

The 2010 study by the University of Missouri and the American Parkinson Disease Association identified 450,000 cases of Parkinson's disease out of a data bases of 36 million Medicare beneficiaries. The researchers found that among those 65 or older, Hispanics and whites developed the Parkinsons twice as often as blacks and Asians.

Parkinsons disease is a common neurodegenerative condition that causes tremor, stiffness, slowness, mood and behavioral disorders, sleep problems and other symptoms. The disease is characterized by loss of dopamine, a compound involved in communication between brain cells.

Some neurologists suggest there may be a much higher Parkinsons incidence among Latinos that is not being medically detected and diagnosed. A 1995 report by Kaiser Permanente found that Hispanics had the highest rate of Parkinson's with 16.6 cases per 100,000, followed by whites (13.6 cases), Asians (11.3) and African Americans (10.2).

One factor that may place Hispanics at increased risk of developing Parkinson's is that they are the largest, the fastest growing demograpic group of older minorities in the United States. In addition, the agricultural work or so may Latinos has exposed many to environmental pollutants and pesticides.

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Parkinsons, Pesticides and Poverty--The Dilemma of Latino Denial