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Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#11

Post by DaiPlusPlus »

onion2k wrote: post #7
rollthehard6 wrote: post #5

Easy to imagine vascular dementia rates being higher due to air pollution, would be interesting to see if rates of non-vascular dementia, such as Alzheimer's are also higher.

It's equally easy to imagine that people who have a brain chemistry that makes them value things like quicker access to transport or a faster pace of life that makes them want to live in the centre of a city are also more susceptible to dementia though. This research has highlighted an interesting correlation that's worth studying, it's not necessarily showing that pollution is the cause.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-01/pho-lnm01031...

According to the press-release, a difference in distance of only 50m from a high-traffic road creates an observable 7% difference in dementia risk.

I'd say it's very easy to both live in a city centre and live 50m away from a major road.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#13

Post by viraptor »

dvh wrote: post #10

Shouldn't car mechanics also have higher dementia rate?

General car mechanics probably not. I don't think they spend that much time next to running (and not just idling) engines. But I like that train of thought... how about professional drivers - truck, bus, taxi?

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#14

Post by Angostura »

awjr wrote: post #3

In terms of pollution I'm assuming we are talking about NOx, PM2.5, and PM10. However it would be useful to understand if lead, banned in most countries around 2000, impacts dementia and whether this is now beginning to show itself within this study.

The researchers also suggest that noise may be an issue.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#15

Post by torrent-of-ions »

dvh wrote: post #10

Shouldn't car mechanics also have higher dementia rate?

A mechanic will have maybe one car running at any one time, maybe more if there are other mechanics in the same shop, and only for 8 hours a day. If you live near a road you'll have hundreds of running cars in your vicinity 24 hours a day.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#16

Post by jack9 »

awjr wrote: post #3

In terms of pollution I'm assuming we are talking about NOx, PM2.5, and PM10. However it would be useful to understand if lead, banned in most countries around 2000, impacts dementia and whether this is now beginning to show itself within this study.

I don't think there's a study (or may ever be) correlating reduced lung capacity/smoking and reduced/delayed risk for dementia in relation to the busy road belts.

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#17

Post by Pica_soO »

Could there be some guarding reflex, that detects irregular sound or the absence of regular sounds and jump starts the sleeping mammal if predator presence is detected?

https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/5342191/Acerbi%2...

http://the.sleep.ru/lib/NeurosciBiobehavRev_2008_dolphins.pd...

Re: Dementia rates 'higher near busy roads'

#19

Post by reddytowns »

awjr wrote: post #4
nrjdhsbsid wrote: post #2

Ehhhh I feel like the researchers took 5000 variables and threw them at the wall to see what sticks. Living near busy roads is usually cheaper... And I doubt people with dementia are locking down C level positions

The study specifically adjusts for poverty/lifestyle.

But what proof is there that their adjustments covered every possible cause? I would suggest this is by definition impossible, since if we knew every possible cause for dementia, we would not need to do the study.
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