Green Space Exposure May Lower Neurodegenerative Disease Risk

 

Didn't your competent? doctor create protocols on blue and green spaces years ago? NO? So, completely and totally incompetent then? And still employed?

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Green Space Exposure May Lower Neurodegenerative Disease Risk

Greater residential green space exposure was associated with a lower risk for neurodegenerative diseases among middle-aged and older adults, with the strongest association observed within a 250-meter residential buffer. Higher residential green space exposure is associated with a lower risk for neurodegenerative diseases among middle-aged and older adults, according to a study published in the Archives of Public Health. Previous studies have linked residential green space exposure with lower mortality and hospitalization risks related to neurodegenerative diseases. To better characterize this association, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published through March 2025. The analysis included 12 observational studies, comprising 6 studies from Asia, 5 from North America, and 1 from the United Kingdom. Study designs included cohort (n=6), cross-sectional (n=3), case-control (n=1), combined cross-sectional and cohort (n=1), and ecological (n=1) studies. Most studies defined green space exposure using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) or Land Use (LU)-Land Cover (LC). Our results support the potential of residential green space as a public health strategy to promote healthy aging and mitigate the risk of [neurodegenerative diseases].The pooled study population exceeded 1.7 million individuals, with baseline ages ranging from 48.9 to 100.3 years. Compared with lower exposure, greater residential green space exposure was associated with a lower risk for neurodegenerative diseases (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.91; I2, 91.08%).

Similar findings were observed in sensitivity analyses excluding studies that used LU/LC data (HR, 0.76), excluding studies with multiple disease endpoints (HR, 0.83), restricting the analysis to cohort studies (HR, 0.76), and including only studies reporting HRs (HR, 0.78). Leave-one-out analyses also yielded protective associations with effect sizes in similar ranges.

In disease-specific analyses, higher green space exposure was associated with a significant;y lower risk for Alzheimer disease (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.79-0.95). Associations for Parkinson disease (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-1.00) and cognitive impairment (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61-1.02) did not reach statistical significance.

Sex-stratified analyses showed similar associations among men (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.70-0.81) and women (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63-0.87). The association was stronger among nonsmokers (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.65-0.85) than among smokers (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76-0.98), and was most pronounced among adults aged younger than 65 years (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.58-0.82).

The strongest association was observed for green space exposure within a 250-meter buffer around residences (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.61-0.78).

Dose-response analyses indicated a nonlinear association between NDVI and neurodegenerative disease risk. Protective associations were observed at an NDVI of 0.4 (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.73-0.82) and 0.6 (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.47-0.62). The association plateaued at higher NDVI levels and was no longer significant at an NDVI of 1.0 (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.27-1.03).

Study limitations include the risk for green space misclassification and the overall uncertainty of evidence.

The researchers concluded, “Our results support the potential of residential green space as a public health strategy to promote healthy aging and mitigate the risk of [neurodegenerative diseases].”

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