Labour Research October 2005

Health & Safety Matters

Jobs are linked to brain diseases

A wide range of jobs could carry a heightened risk of degenerative brain diseases, a US study has concluded.

Bank tellers, aircraft mechanics and hairdressers were found to have the highest chances of dying from Alzheimer's disease. Biological scientists, teachers and religious workers were at the greatest risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Robert M Park and others, Potential occupational risks for neurodegenerative diseases, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, volume 48, issue 1, pages 63-77, 2005