Movement helps

In recent years, research into lifestyle factors that may influence the course of the disease has grown considerably. Physical activity is one of them. Staying active is good for everyone, but for people with Parkinson's disease it appears to be especially valuable: regular movement can noticeably improve symptoms. The role of environmental factors such as pesticides and air pollution is also receiving increasing attention in scientific research. These are often complex, long-term studies whose outcomes are not yet fully known.

Staying active does not have to be strenuous. With Bike Labyrinth, people with Parkinson's disease can take virtual cycling trips at their own pace, from the familiar surroundings of home or a care facility. This way they keep moving in a way that suits them.

New research: regional differences in the Netherlands

Professor Bloem and his research group are experts in the field of Parkinson's disease. Last month, a study by his group, together with researchers from Utrecht University (IRAS & Julius Centre), was published in the scientific journal The Lancet. The study maps regional differences in the number of new cases of Parkinson's disease in the Netherlands for the first time (Simões Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2026).

The researchers linked health data to demographic and socioeconomic data. New diagnoses were calculated based on death certificates, medication prescriptions, health insurance claims and hospital records.

What does the research show?

When corrected for population growth, the number of new patients per year remained stable between 2017 and 2022. The total number of people with Parkinson's disease in the Netherlands is still rising, but this is because people with the condition are living longer. That is a positive development, due in part to the better and more specialised care that has become available, including through networks such as ParkinsonNet, a Dutch national network of specialised Parkinson's care providers.

Notably, the study also revealed significant regional differences: more new cases were recorded in the north of the Netherlands than in the south. The risk of developing Parkinson's disease was also found to be higher among men and people with higher levels of education, and the risk increases with age.

What does this tell us about pollution and pesticides?

A natural question is whether areas with higher levels of pollution or pesticide use also show more new cases of Parkinson's disease. This link was not clearly visible in the study. The geographic distribution of new diagnoses does not correspond with the distribution of known risk factors such as air pollution or certain forms of agriculture.

The researchers emphasise that this does not mean the environment plays no role. Parkinson's disease develops through a combination of factors over a long period, sometimes spanning decades. People move, their living environment changes and their personal exposure to risk factors varies considerably. Furthermore, the diagnosis is often only made when clear symptoms are present, even though the disease began earlier. This study looked at groups of people and where they lived at the time of diagnosis, not at individual exposure over a lifetime. To properly assess environmental factors, further research at the individual level is needed. That research is already underway, including through the OBO2 programme (a collaboration between Radboud University Medical Centre and IRAS) and the PD-PEST study.

An important starting pointThis is the first large-scale study in the Netherlands to map regional differences in the number of new Parkinson's disease diagnoses. It therefore represents a valuable starting point for further research into the causes behind those differences.