A recent study on the link between pesticide usage and autoimmune diseases in women showed that, of the 75,000 women studied, those who use insecticides six or more times a year had almost two-and-a-half times the risk of contracting lupus and rheumatoid arthritis – compared to those who didn't use bug spray in their households.
This number more than doubled if the women had been using pesticides in their homes for more than 20 years. Having one's home or lawn sprayed with insecticides over a long period of time doubled the risk as well.
Christine G. Parks, PhD, an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research, stated, "Our new results provide support for the idea that environmental factors may increase susceptibility or trigger the development of autoimmune diseases in some individuals."
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2009.