Marines who were stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune had an incredibly increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease compared to veterans who served at a base on the other side of the country.
A new study shows that may be because of the Camp Lejeune vets' exposure to trichloroethylene, which is a chemical used to clean metal parts and one of the contaminants found in the drinking water supply on base from the 1950s through the 80s.
The researchers looked at the health records of 340,000 service members who were stationed at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton in California from 1975 through 1985, and they found that the risk of Parkinson's disease was 70% higher in veterans who were stationed aboard the North Carolina base.
The study was published Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology; read it HERE.
The study was funded by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, but the department did not design or conduct the research.
