Monday, January 9, 2017

New Research Shows That High-Traffic Roads Raises Dementia Risk

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CBC Canada says that living close to a major road might be linked to a small increase in the risk for developing dementia. The new Canadian study may give insights on the different factors contributing to this brain condition. The collaboration between researchers at Public Health Ontario and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences paved way to examining data involving 6.5 million people aging between 20-85 years old.

They tried to look for any links between the places where these people lived and the occurrence of dementia, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. Dr. Ray Copes and his team said that there’s higher incidence of dementia for those living close to heavy traffic. The study did not show any associations with Parkinson’s or MS.

Moreover, it appears that the fine particles from vehicle pollution gets absorbed into the lungs and is greatly connected with inflammation that’s related to cardiac and respiratory diseases. It is possible that the pollutants may affect the central nervous system and cause dementia. This hypothesis hasn’t been proven.

Dementia Risk Linked To Living Close To High-Traffic Roads

Living within half a city block of a major road may be associated with a small increased risk of dementia, suggests a new Canadian study that could help shed light on factors contributing to the brain disorder. Read more…

The Star emphasizes on the location of the Ontario residents. Those who lived within 50 meters of major roads increased their likelihood of developing the condition by at least seven per cent. Those who lived more than 200 meters away exhibited no increase in the risk. People who extended their stay close to these routes had the risk increased by 12 per cent.

The team went back five years (1996) and they traced the proximity of each participant to the major roadways using the postal codes. The Ontario Health card renewal records allowed the team to monitor how long each subject stayed in a certain area.

Nineteen per cent of Ontario’s population lives within close proximity of a major roadway. Under half live within 200 meters and when you factor in high-density cities like Toronto that percentage would increase.

Researchers Suggest Air Pollution From Vehicles May Be A Factor In The Development Of Dementia.

That increased risk dropped to four per cent for those who lived 50 to 100 metres from major traffic, and to two per cent if they lived between 100 and 200 metres. At more than 200 metres there was no elevated risk of dementia, the study found. Read more…

CBS News covers study author Hong Chen’s explanation: the results imply that busy routes like these could be a possible source of environmental factors that may give a rise in the numbers where dementia is concerned.

Dr. Paul Wright, chair of neurology at North Shore University Hospital Manhasset, N.Y. says that the results makes us consider the importance of this health concern. There might be a need for it to be investigated further as the rates of the said condition is still on the rise. It becomes a significant public health concern and the people need to know about the outcome of this study.

Dementia Risk Linked To Living Near Busy Roads

However, “our study suggests that busy roads could be a source of environmental stressors that could give rise to the onset of dementia,” study author Hong Chen, with Public Health Ontario, said in a journal news release. Read more…

The study presents the need for us to take action. If the cause and effect of the study can be proven, it will definitely put the people and the government on guard. This can potentially create preventive measures in protecting our brain health.

The post New Research Shows That High-Traffic Roads Raises Dementia Risk appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.



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