Live near a busy road? You could be at higher risk of dementia
A large-scale study published in The Lancet looked at 6-million adults and found the correlation
London — People living near major roads have a higher chance of developing dementia, according to a large-scale study published in British medical journal The Lancet on Thursday. The research looked at 6-million adults living in Ontario, Canada between 2001 and 2012, and found that those living less than 50 metres from a busy road had a 7% higher incidence of dementia. The risk was 4% above normal for those living 50-100 metres from main roads and 2% higher among those 100-200 metres away. There was no discernable elevated risk among people living more than 200 metres from a major route. The study, led by Hong Chen from Public Health Ontario, found that long-term exposure to two common pollutants — nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulates — were associated with dementia but did not account for the full effect.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.