Bee Venom Does Not Reduce the Risk for Parkinson's Disease: Epidemiological Study among Beekeepers.

Background: Based on the promising results from preclinical studies, bee venom has been investigated as a neuroprotective agent in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: To assess if longstanding exposure to bee venom is associated with decreased risk for Parkinson's disease among beekeepers.

Methods: Questionnaire gathering information about diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and exposure to bee stings was posted to 6500 members of Slovenian beekeepers' organisation.

Results: We received 1298 responses (response rate 20.1%). Twenty beekeepers, all older than 60 years, were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The prevalence of Parkinson's disease in beekeepers aged ≥60 years was 3.9%, which is above the reported 0.6-1.3% prevalence of PD in this age group in European population. There was no difference in parameters reflecting bee venom exposure between beekeepers with and without Parkinson's disease.

Conclusions: Continuous exposure to bee venom does not affect neurodegeneration to the extent where it could prevent the expression of Parkinson's disease. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.