Vineyard pesticides may be linked to Parkinson’s disease

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Author: Saskia MairPublished: 8 July 2021

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Exposure to pesticides used in vineyards could be linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to researchers in France.

As part of their study, the team used a health insurance database to identify farmers in France who had been diagnosed with the condition. They then compared these records with data combining an agriculture census and pesticide expenditures across regions of varying farming types, including vineyards.

They found that areas with vineyards that lacked designation of origin, and spent the most on pesticides, were associated with a 16% higher incidence of Parkinson’s.

“This result suggests that agricultural practices and pesticides used in these vineyards may play a role in Parkinson’s disease,” the researchers concluded, “and that farmers in these farms should benefit from preventive measures aiming at reducing exposure.”

Find out more about the study on pesticides and Parkinson’s disease.

For more information on the latest Parkinson’s disease research, please visit the EPDA website.

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Previous studies of vineyard and agricultural workers in France and the US highlight potential correlations between pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s risk. Now, a team is conducting the first study in Ireland to investigate this potential link. Last week, researchers from University College Cork, Ireland, took to the country’s National Ploughing Championships – a three-day country show, agricultural trade fair and ploughing competition. Their goal? To “gather information on the environmental risks associated with Parkinson’s in Ireland”, according to Professor Aideen Sullivan of the university’s Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience. “Our survey is a broad-stroke approach. We are going to ask people what categories of pesticides they’ve used,” said Sullivan’s colleague, Dr Lucy Collins-Stack. “We are going into this thinking there may be a stronger link with rural settings rather than towns, but we still want to look at both.” The survey can be completed online.

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Vineyard pesticides may be linked to Parkinson’s disease

News

Author: Saskia MairPublished: 8 July 2021

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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Parkinson’s in the news: October

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“I wanted to say, ‘This is who I am now'”

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Parkinson’s Life 2018 highlights

Ireland survey aims to uncover link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

Is there a link between Parkinson’s disease and blood vessel dysfunction?

New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

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Vineyard pesticides may be linked to Parkinson’s disease

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Author: Saskia MairPublished: 8 July 2021

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Global update

Parkinson’s in the news: October

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Ireland survey aims to uncover link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease

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New swab test may help with Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

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