Since 2014, Santé publique France has been developing, in collaboration with Inserm, a surveillance program for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. The data generated are used to guide healthcare provision, monitor initiatives under the 2014–2019 Neurodegenerative Diseases Plan, and identify relevant prevention measures.

In France, more than 160,000 people are currently being treated for Parkinson’s disease, including approximately 25,000 new cases (those newly treated during the year). Men are affected about 1.5 times more often than women. The geographic distribution of the disease is characterized by a certain degree of spatial heterogeneity.

The link between Parkinson’s disease and the farming profession, which involves high exposure to pesticides, is well documented in the literature. Since 2012, Parkinson’s disease may, under certain conditions, be recognized as an occupational disease among farmers.

Approximately 1,800 new cases per year were reported among farmers aged 55 and older, corresponding to an incidence 13% higher than among individuals enrolled in other health insurance schemes. The incidence was slightly higher among people living in the most agricultural cantons, including among those not working in agriculture, and particularly in those where the proportion of agricultural land allocated to viticulture is highest. Further studies will be launched to assess whether epidemiological tools such as occupation-exposure matrices could help identify substances associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease among farmers.

Learn more about the latest research from Santé publique France:

• Neurodegenerative Diseases Dossier - Parkinson's Disease

• Kab S, Spinosi J, Chaperon L, Dugravot A, Singh-Manoux A, Moisan F, Elbaz A. Agricultural activities and the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in the general French population Eur J Epidemiol 2017;32(3):203-16.

• Kab S. Agriculture and the incidence of motor neuron disease: a French national study.