{"id":138040,"date":"2024-12-17T13:10:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T06:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138040"},"modified":"2024-12-17T13:10:55","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T06:10:55","slug":"taxi-and-ambulance-drivers-less-likely-to-die-from-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138040","title":{"rendered":"Taxi and ambulance drivers less likely to die from Alzheimer\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely to die of Alzheimer\u2019s disease than other workers, a study has found, raising the possibility that navigational skills lead to better brain health.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers looked at the causes of death of millions of American adults and how they spent their working lives.<\/p>\n<p>Of more than 400 professions analysed, cabbies and ambulance drivers were the least likely to fall victim to Alzheimer\u2019s, the most common form of dementia.<\/p>\n<p>The people included in the study started their working lives long before smartphones and GPS became commonplace. \u201cOur findings raise the possibility that frequent navigational and spatial processing tasks, as performed by taxi and ambulance<span class=\"paywall-EAB47CFD\"> drivers, might be associated with some protection against Alzheimer\u2019s disease,\u201d the researchers, who were led by Professor Vishal Patel of Harvard Medical School, wrote in a study published in the BMJ.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">However, cabbies tended to die earlier than the average worker; a life largely spent sitting in a car may be unhealthy in other ways. <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">More than 75,000 Britons died of dementia last year, making it the leading cause of death, according to Alzheimer\u2019s Research UK. With a cure yet to be found, many experts emphasise the importance of lifestyle habits that may help to guard against it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Patel and his colleagues were inspired by a study that found training to be a London cabbie changed the shape of the brain. As apprentice taxi drivers memorise the capital\u2019s streets, a brain region called the hippocampus, which plays an important role in spatial memory and navigation, becomes larger.<\/p>\n<div id=\"5.4\">\n<div id=\"983eb5e4-e986-43f0-9885-d20b447215a7\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 responsive__PrimaryImg-sc-4v1r4q-3 hpWIYt\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div style=\"background-color:#efefef\" class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:66.66%;position:relative;overflow:hidden\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"London taxi driver.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/imageserver\/image\/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F1702ecfb-ba35-4331-9147-a6dd2e561b90.jpg?crop=5000%2C3333%2C0%2C0\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 responsive__InsetCaptionStyle-sc-1io40fc-2 fkMBIX\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:10px\" class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<p>Learning the Knowledge is known to expand the hippocampus<\/p>\n<p>GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The hippocampus is also one of the first brain regions to atrophy, or shrink, in Alzheimer\u2019s. It makes intuitive sense, then, that boosting its volume might help fend off the disease.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The researchers analysed death certificates of nearly nine million US adults who had worked in 443 different occupations and died between 2020 and 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">After adjusting for age at death and other factors, taxi and ambulance drivers were found to have the lowest proportion of deaths from Alzheimer\u2019s disease of all the occupations represented, at 1 per cent and 0.9 per cent respectively, compared with 1.7 per cent for the general population.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">The trend was not seen in bus drivers or aircraft pilots, possibly because they tend to travel the same predetermined routes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/are-men-and-women-really-wired-differently-n26wn9zct\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\"><b>Are men and women really wired differently?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">This kind of study cannot prove that working as a taxi driver causes better brain health. It is possible that people at higher risk of developing Alzheimer\u2019s are less likely to do jobs that demand a very sharp memory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u201cWe view these findings not as conclusive but as hypothesis-generating,\u201d the researchers said. \u201cFurther research is necessary to definitively conclude whether the spatial cognitive work required for these occupations affect risk of death from Alzheimer\u2019s disease and whether any cognitive activities can be potentially preventive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">According to Dr Richard Oakley, of the Alzheimer\u2019s Society, researchers believe that nearly half of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented. \u201cSome risk factors cannot be reduced or avoided, but many others can,\u201d he said. \u201cThese include excessive alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, smoking and limited social contact among others. We can all take steps to reduce our risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Other experts said that the study was intriguing but needed to be read carefully. Professor Tara Spires-Jones of the University of Edinburgh, group leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, who was not involved in the research, said: \u201cThis is a large study that adds to knowledge around building brain resilience to reduce the risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/article\/total-recall-at-106-the-woman-who-changed-our-view-of-memory-qr66qm6bx\" class=\"link__RespLink-sc-1ocvixa-0 csWvlP\"><b>Total recall at 106: the woman who changed our view of memory<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">However, she also noted that the average age at death of ambulance and taxi drivers in the study was 64 and 68, respectively, while for all other occupations it was 74. \u201cThis is a serious limitation of the study as the age of onset of Alzheimer\u2019s is typically after 65 years old, meaning that the taxi and ambulance drivers might have gone on to develop Alzheimer\u2019s if they lived longer.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">Similarly, the proportion of female taxi and ambulance drivers was 10 per cent and 22 per cent, whereas in all other occupations it was 48 per cent. \u201cThis is important because women are more likely to develop Alzheimer\u2019s disease than men. Authors used statistics to try and take into account these limitations, but they do limit the interpretation of the study.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\">However, she added: \u201cEven with these limitations, the data in the study are interesting and highlight the need for more fundamental research into how to protect our brains from Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"responsive__Heading3-sc-4v1r4q-10 dxCaTt\">How to keep your brain sharp<\/h3>\n<div id=\"5.22\">\n<div id=\"14c107e3-feb4-40a1-83b7-f22092c8394d\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 responsive__PrimaryImg-sc-4v1r4q-3 hpWIYt\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div style=\"background-color:#efefef\" class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:66.66%;position:relative;overflow:hidden\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A mature man and a young woman studying a map in a forest.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/imageserver\/image\/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F49f26368-ed92-4a0d-9382-a103567e6993.jpg?crop=5000%2C3333%2C0%2C0\" class=\"responsive-sc-1nnon4d-0 bAbKns\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 responsive__InsetCaptionStyle-sc-1io40fc-2 fkMBIX\">\n<div class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<div style=\"padding-top:10px\" class=\"tc-view__TcView-nuazoi-0 fPjBcr\">\n<p>Map-reading and exercise may both help to preserve cognitive function<\/p>\n<p>COLIN HAWKINS\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\"><b>Take up orienteering.<\/b> Orienteering involves walking or running around a course, using a map and compass to reach control points along the way. It combines two activities that may lessen Alzheimer\u2019s risk: physical exercise and using your brain to navigate unfamiliar terrain. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada published a small study last year that found orienteering boosted a brain chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is linked with the creation of new brain cell connections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\"><b>Ditch the GPS. <\/b>Another small study, published in the Journal Scientific Reports in 2020, found that people who used GPS more frequently had steeper declines in spatial memory over time. In other words, their internal navigational systems degraded more quickly. \u201cImportantly, we found that those who used GPS more did not do so because they felt they had a poor sense of direction, suggesting that extensive GPS use led to a decline in spatial memory rather than the other way around,\u201d the researchers wrote.<\/p>\n<p id=\"last-paragraph\" class=\"responsive__Paragraph-sc-1pktst5-0 gaEeqC\"><b>Walk, don\u2019t drive. <\/b>Taxi drivers may have less risk of dying from Alzheimer\u2019s. But overall, the BMJ study suggests that they\u2019re not the healthiest role models. On average, they died relatively early, at the age of 68, and having a job that mostly involved sitting down probably won\u2019t have helped (though bus drivers lived to 74, on average, and pilots to 78). The adage you\u2019ll hear most often from dementia experts is that what\u2019s good for your heart is good for your head. So if you really want to boost your brain health, start by boosting your cardiovascular fitness \u2014 and go by foot rather than catching a cab.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/uk\/science\/article\/taxi-and-ambulance-drivers-less-likely-to-die-from-alzheimers-qdbp6jh89\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Taxi and ambulance drivers are less likely to die of Alzheimer\u2019s disease than other workers, a study has found, raising the possibility that navigational skills lead to better brain health. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=138040\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138040\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=138040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=138040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}