Women who use pesticides have double the risk of autoimmune diseases lupus and rheumatoid arthritis

[Hip]

A 2011 study of nearly 77,000 women found that those who personally mixed or applied insecticides for 20 years had double the rate of the autoimmune conditions rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Hiring a gardener or commercial company to apply insecticides also resulted in a doubling of risk (if this was done on a long-term basis):

Article: Lupus and other Autoimmune Diseases Linked to Insecticide Use

Article: Pesticides Linked to RA, Lupus Risk

Study: Insecticide use and risk of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study



In the case of ME/CFS, exposure to "sheep dip" organophosphate pesticides increases the risk of developing ME/CFS by a staggering fourfold. Ref: 1

And in this thread, I speculate that the large increase in pesticide usage in the period from 1960 to 1980 might have been the reason for the huge increase in ME/CFS incidence that occurred in the 1980s (the incidence in ME/CFS increased by fivefold to eightfold by the end of the 1980s).

 

[Little Bluestem]

I didn't read all of the links. Is this just about insecticides applied to plant or would it also apply to insect repellents applied to animals such as horses? (or even insect repellents applied to people).

 

[Undisclosed]

The title of this thread is totally misleading.

Limitations of the study included its observational design and reliance on self-reported data, according to Parks and her colleagues.

In addition, the researchers had no information on the types of pests and insects targeted by the chemicals, the specific pesticide products used, or specific application techniques.

Nonetheless, Parks and co-authors concluded, "Our findings are consistent with a hypothesis that personal insecticide use, primarily residential, may increase the use of developing [autoimmune rheumatic disease] in postmenopausal women

 

[Hip]

The title of this thread is totally misleading.

I don't see how the excerpts you quoted equate to "totally misleading".

The results of this large study are consistent with other studies on pesticides that show a link between domestic and occupational pesticide exposures and diseases such as ME/CFS and Parkinson's.

There are several studies showing links between pesticide exposure and ME/CFS, and dozens of studies on the pesticide–Parkinson's link. For example, this study found that frequent household use of organophosphate pesticides is associated with double the risk of developing Parkinson's.

And the following studies link ME/CFS to the organophosphate-, pyrethroid- and organochlorine-classes of pesticides:

Organophosphate pesticides and ME/CFS: 1 2
Pyrethroid pesticides and ME/CFS: 1 2
Organochlorine pesticides and ME/CFS: 1 2



Personally I think it is unwise to use pesticides inside the home or in the garden. Even the so-called organic pyrethrin pesticides derived from chrysanthemum plants probably pose health risks, although such pyrethroids are less toxic to humans than organophosphates.

 

[Hip]

The following article examines the association between pesticides and various diseases:

Wide Range of Diseases Linked to Pesticides

41 studies linking pesticides to asthma. Studies show that pesticides not only trigger asthma attacks, but are also a root cause of asthma.

19 studies linking pesticides to fetal and birth defects.

260 studies linking pesticides to various forms of cancer: 30 studies linking pesticides to brain cancer, 11 studies linking pesticides to breast cancer, 40 studies linking pesticides to leukemia, 46 studies linking pesticides to lymphoma, 23 studies linking pesticides to prostate cancer, 7 studies linking pesticides to soft tissue sarcoma.

26 studies linking pesticides to learning and developmental disorders: 8 studies linking pesticides to ADHD, 5 studies linking pesticides to autism.

6 studies linking pesticides to diabetes.

65 studies linking pesticides to Parkinson’s disease.

22 studies linking pesticides to reproductive health effects. These include decreased fertility in both males and females, an androgenic (demasculinizing) effects, increased rates of miscarriage, altered sex ratios and altered maturity.

 

[Hip]

I didn't read all of the links. Is this just about insecticides applied to plant or would it also apply to insect repellents applied to animals such as horses? (or even insect repellents applied to people).

The insect repellent usually used is DEET. I am not aware of links between DEET and an increase risk of developing chronic diseases. So using DEET insect repellents seems relatively safe. Plus insect repellents help prevent insect-bourne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, Ross River virus, etc.