TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2012//
TI  - Pesticide exposure as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies: Pesticide exposure as a risk factor for ALS
JO  - Environmental research
A1  - Malek, Angela M.
A1  - Barchowsky, Aaron
A1  - Bowser, Robert
A1  - Youk, Ada
A1  - Talbott, Evelyn O.
SP  - 112
EP  - 119
VL  - 117
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: Exposure to pesticides and agricultural chemicals has been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) although findings have been inconsistent. A meta-analysis of studies published through May, 2011 was conducted to investigate the association of pesticide exposure and risk of ALS. METHODS: Six peer-reviewed studies that met criteria were included in a meta-analysis of men involving 1,517 ALS deaths from one retrospective cohort study and 589 ALS or motor neuron disease cases from five case-control studies. A random effects model was used to calculate sex-specific pooled odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: Evidence was found for an association of exposure to pesticides and risk of ALS in male cases compared to controls (OR=1.88, 95% CI: 1.36-2.61), although the chemical or class of pesticide was not specified by the majority of studies. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis supports the relationship of exposure to pesticides and development of ALS among male cases compared to controls. The weight of evidence links pesticide exposure to ALS; however, additional prospective studies with a target exposure group are necessary to better elucidate the relationship. Future research should focus on more accurate exposure assessment and the use of job exposure matrices.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0013-9351
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2012.06.007
ID  - ref1
ER  -