These are the results of a study recently published in world leading journal The Lancet.
The Study
Researchers in Canada included 6.5 million people in the study (age 20 to 85) from 2001 to 2012. Within this period 243,611 cases were diagnosed with dementia. The scientists compared the incidence of dementia with the proximity to streets with heavy traffic
The Results
The closer resident’s life to busy streets, the higher the dementia risk.
• 0 – 50m to busy streets: Dementia risk increased by: 7%
• 51 – 100m to busy streets: Dementia risk increased by: 4%
• 101 – 200m to busy streets: Dementia risk increased by: 2%
• >300m to busy streets: Dementia risk increased by: 0%
The Conclusion
“Air pollutants can get into the blood stream and lead to inflammation, which is linked with cardiovascular disease and possibly other conditions such as diabetes. This study suggests air pollutants that can get into the brain via the blood stream can lead to neurological problems,” said Ray Copes, an environmental and occupational health expert at Public Health Ontario (PHO) who conducted the study with colleagues from Canada’s Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
