A study of more than 5,000 citizens of the United States of America over the age of 65 showed that high levels of city noise increase the likelihood of developing senile dementia. The research results are published in the scientific journal Alzheimer & Dementia.
In the study group, 30% of the study participants developed mild cognitive impairment and 11% suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers carefully studied the noise level in their place of residence for 5 years.
At noise 10 dB above the permissible levels, there was a slight decrease in mental abilities. This happened 36% more often than people living with noise pollution below the limit value, and the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease with a noise of 10 dB increased by 30%. “These data suggest that increased levels of noise pollution in cities can affect the brain activity of older people,” – said one of the study’s authors, Sarah Edard.
About 50 million people now suffer from dementia in the world, two thirds of whom have Alzheimer’s disease. The number of patients with this disease is increasing every year.