Increased risk of dementia, in particular Alzheimer’s, due to noise from vehicles and trains. This is the conclusion of a study by Danish scientists.
In particular, frequent and long-term exposure of people to vehicle and train noise is associated with an increased risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s, according to a new Danish scientific study.
The researchers, led by Manuela Cantuaria of the University of Southern Denmark, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), analyzed data on about two million people over the age of 60, linking the risk of dementia to place of residence and its proximity to a major road or railway line. During the approximately ten years of the study, 103,500 new cases of dementia were diagnosed, of which 31,219 were Alzheimer’s, 8,664 were vascular dementia and 2,192 were Parkinson’s-related dementia.
Alzheimer’s: The decibels of risk
It was found that the average ten-year exposure of a person to the noise of vehicles or trains, especially those living on the most exposed sides of buildings, was associated with a higher risk of any kind of dementia, with the risk of Alzheimer’s being 37% higher for exposure to car noises above 55 decibels and 24% higher for train noises above 50 decibels, compared to noises below 40 decibels. In the case of another form of dementia, vascular dementia, only the noise of the streets and not of the trains was found to increase the risk.
At the same time, noise from other activities (airports, industries, etc.) may be involved in the burden on health. Possible explanations for the effect of noise on health include the release of stress hormones, sleep disturbance, changes in the immune system, etc. Noise can also worsen conditions such as hypertension, thus indirectly increasing the risk of dementia.
Alzheimer’s: 130 million sufferers in 2020
Researchers estimate that up to 15% of annual dementia cases in Denmark can be attributed to noise, which – if confirmed – means that noise reduction is a significant public health priority intervention. Worldwide, people with dementia are expected to exceed 130 million by 2020. Cardiovascular disease, unhealthy lifestyle and other environmental factors contribute to dementia. Other studies have linked noise to other health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
Transport noise is considered to be the second worst environmental risk factor for public health in Europe after air pollution. It is estimated that about one fifth (20%) of Europeans are exposed to noise from vehicles, trains, airplanes, etc. above the recommended level of 55 decibels.
source: ΑΠΕ – ΜΠΕ
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