New study reveals the environmental factors that could increase your dementia risk

Dementia affects millions of people across the world each year and while billions of dollars are spent on research, scientists have yet to find a cure.

However, a group of US researchers believes that our surrounding environment plays a significant role in brain health, influencing the likelihood of developing dementia. They argue that urban design and environmental protection should be key areas of focus in dementia prevention.

Researchers from the University of Georgia (UG), led by Dr Suhang Song, examined 54 studies and found that living near major roads produced an approximate 10 per cent increase risk in developing dementia while exposure to air pollution made by vehicles and industrial emissions increased your risk by nine per cent.

Just as concerning, exposure to nitrous oxide, which can come from fossil fuel combustion, increased your risk by 10 per cent.

In contrast, the study found that living near green and blue spaces, including built and natural spaces and bodies of water, reduced your risk of cognitive decline by six per cent.

Additionally, the research team pointed out that access to local amenities and the ability to walk around your neighbourhood, also reduced the risk of developing dementia.

“These numbers show that living in a dementia-friendly environment is important to delay or prevent cognitive decline and the onset of dementia,” Dr Song said.

According to Dr Song, the study showed that people should visit parks or forests more often and also live further from the major roads if they wished to reduce their chances of developing the condition.

“Also, living in a community where there is more walkability, or being close to local amenities like bookstores, health care centers and more is helpful,” Dr Song said.

Dr Song said she hopes the study will lead to further research and she encouraged researchers to, “prioritize objective measurements in investigating environmental influences on cognition and dementia risk.”

“The biggest advantage of this paper is to quantify the association between certain factors and cognitive health,” Dr Song said.

“This analysis can provide evidence for data-driven urban planning and support decision makers.”

While the research offers useful insights, not everyone has the ability to move away from traffic-heavy areas. However, there are other ways to protect brain health, such as making dietary changes.

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast looked at the diets of people aged between and 70 and found that those who ate a flavonoid rich diet had a lower risk of developing dementia, particularly among those participants who were genetically at a higher risk of developing the disease.

Flavonoids are the chemical compounds found in various plant products such as teas, citrus fruits and vegetables and can cause the bitter taste in fruit peel. These compounds are also found in plant products like wine, tea, berries and dark chocolate.

The team analysed the eating habits of 120,000 people in the UK who had their dietary and medical data recorded in the UK Biobank’s records, from 2006 to 2010.

The researchers, led by Dr Amy Jennings said the study found that participants who consumed six extra daily servings of tea, red wine and berries had a lower risk of developing dementia, especially if they drank more tea.

“We were also able to show, for the first time in our knowledge, that these associations were evident in participants at high genetic risk of dementia and those with modifiable risk factors, including depression and hypertension, but not in those without,” she said.

“Our results suggest that inclusion of flavonoid-rich foods into the daily diet may lower dementia risk, especially in populations at high risk.”

While the study is the largest to date to investigate flavonoids and dementia risk, the researchers admitted there were limitations to their findings such as relying on participants to report their dietary habits correctly and knowing the participants in the Biobank study are healthier than the general population in the UK.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.