Vehicles jam a major artery in Toronto on November 24, 2016.

Vehicles jam a major artery in Toronto on November 24, 2016.
Photo Credit: Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Living near busy roads linked to dementia

A new study has found that people who live near major roads with heavy traffic have a higher risk of dementia. This suggests that air pollution from vehicle exhaust might be a factor in this type of neurological disease.

Researchers looked at the health records of 6.6 million people living in the province of Ontario. Their postal codes were used to determine how close they were to major roads.

No causal link, but an association

They found that people who lived up to 50 metres from a high-traffic artery were 7 per cent more likely to develop dementia than those who lived more than 300 metres away. They also found people who lived close to busy roads for longer had a greater risk than did those who live close by for a short time.

The study did not prove that pollution causes dementia, only that there is a link between the two. Canadian Press reports that previous studies have found that pollutants can get into the blood and cause inflammation which has been liked to cardiovascular disease and other diseases.

More than half a million Canadians now have dementia. That number is expected to nearly double in 15 years.

Categories: Health, Internet, Science & Technology, Society
Tags: , , ,

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.