PM2.5 particles from vehicle emissions are small enough to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and have been shown to end up in brain tissue.
Even if it isn't a direct cause of dementia, air pollution contributes to cardiovascular diseases which are themselves risk factors for dementia.
I suspect this result may be reflective of multiple factors that remain to be associated, qualified, and quantified with respect to this overall correlation.
the closest experience to the city hum that i could find in the country is probably the seaside, and i have to say, it is a very comforting experience.
https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/5342191/Acerbi%2...
http://the.sleep.ru/lib/NeurosciBiobehavRev_2008_dolphins.pd...
At 63 I am starting to think more about dementia risk factors.
One advice after watching him is to never quit your hobbies until you abosolutely have to. His mental decline was sharp after giving up hobbies he had for 40 years.
I work still and will continue to work till at least 67.
I'm a developer and development manager so I get to challenge my brain routinely at work. I consume nuts, lots of and a variety of tea, a little chocolate and some red wine to help with polyphenols [1]. Oh and Omega 3 fatty acid sources. I am actively getting my weight under control.
I play puzzles, board games and other things to stimulate my brain.
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308945733_Nutrition...
Seems like a possible mechanism that didn't appear to be explored.
I know I feel less refreshed if I fall asleep and media or traffic outside is constant. A hotel room facing a freeway often leaves me waking unrefreshed, which can be partially mitigated if the room's fan blower is left on for continuous, monotonous white noise masking.
Interesting about the fan blower. My wife started using that to prevent our young kids from being awakened by normal household noise. It reminded me of something I'd read years ago about people who worked in server rooms losing hearing sensitivity in the range of the constant low-level hum. Not sure how much exposure was required, but I encouraged her to use it sparingly.
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.
(I know they do statistical tests, but they often use the wrong tests.)
edit: bad bad grammar
Passive noise control through insulation is the best solution for residential buildings.
Any indication of how the researchers defined a 'major road'? Was it purely size or done by traffic throughput over time? Or did they be use air pollution / noise measurements instead?
Living near busy roads is usually cheaper... And I doubt people with dementia are locking down C level positions
