A new study found that increased exposure to residential greenery may help stave off cognitive decline by an annual rate of eight months. This delay was observed more among people living in low-socioeconomic status and highly populated neighborhoods, as well as people who carry the APOE-ɛ4 gene, which is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Research has shown that about 40 percent of dementia could be prevented or delayed worldwide by addressing modifiable risk factors associated with the condition, particularly during midlife.
A new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher is shedding deeper insight on how one risk factor-;living near greenery, such as parks and trees-;during middle-age years could provide cognitive benefits later in life. Published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives , the study found that residing in areas with higher amounts of greenness during midlife may slow a person's annual rate of cognitive decline by about eight months. This association was stronger among people living in neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status (SES), highly populated neighborhoods.
This association was also observed among people with the APOE-ɛ4 gene, a variant of the APOE gene that is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. APOE-ɛ4 carriers exposed to more greenery had a threefold magnitude of slower cognitive decline, compared to people without the gene, which is an important research development, as .
