Living a long and healthy life is the ultimate goal, and most people assume that involves eating right and exercising. But new research suggests there is more to it.
If you knew you could lower your risk of passing away from Alzheimer’s disease, would you do whatever it took — even if it meant changing your occupation?
New research suggests that people working in two specific jobs may be less likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease.
A study published in The BMJ found that lower numbers of people working as taxi drivers and ambulance drivers lost their lives because of Alzheimer’s.
According to Science Alertwhich reported on the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School gathered data from 8,972,221 adults’ death certificates and cross-referenced their cause of death with their “usual” occupation, the one they are considered to have held for the majority of their lives.
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The study results are not definitive, but they do indicate a correlation between occupation and health.
Death certificates were taken from 98% of the population of the United States and spanned from the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2022. 348,328 of the people studied died from Alzheimer’s.
As Science Alert pointed out, the results of this study do not necessarily mean that working as a taxi or ambulance driver automatically lowers your risk of developing and passing from Alzheimer’s. However, the similarities between the two occupations are an interesting link to consider.
Dr. Vishal Patel, one of the researchers who participated in the study, said, “The same part of the brain that’s involved in creating cognitive spatial maps — which we use to navigate the world around us — is also involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.”
This suggests there could be a connection to the hippocampus. According to the Cleveland Clinicthe hippocampus helps convert short-term memories to long-term memories, helps with spatial memory, and helps with your “verbal memory.”
It is, Science Alert said, “one of the first areas to deteriorate in Alzheimer’s.”
Another study that focused on taxi drivers in London had similar findings, which was the reason behind this new study.
Researcher Dr. Anupam Jena said, “Our results highlight the possibility that neurological changes in the hippocampus or elsewhere among taxi and ambulance drivers may account for the lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Because taxi and ambulance drivers take unpredictable routes that must often be adjusted in real-time, it would make sense that their navigational skills were stronger, also making that part of their brains stronger.
The same results did not hold true for other transportation-related occupations like bus drivers, ship captains and airplane pilots. However, these navigators typically take predetermined routes that require little adjustment.
There are other things that could contribute to the low rates of Alzheimer’s in taxi and ambulance drivers.
Researchers noted several “limitations” of their study that could also explain the results they found.
For example, researchers said that those with a predisposition for developing Alzheimer’s disease may be less likely to choose “memory intensive” careers like those of taxi and ambulance drivers.
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Additionally, there are issues with just what a “usual” occupation is. While some stick with one career for most of, if not their entire, lives, others switch careers frequently.
Neuroscientist Tara Spires-Jones was skeptical about the study’s findings, noting that the age at which taxi and ambulance drivers passed away was usually between 64 and 67, but Alzheimer’s typically presents after age 65.
Unfortunately, there are few changes that can be made to prevent Alzheimer’s.
While this research certainly seems promising, it is not enough to suggest we should all leave our jobs to become taxi or ambulance drivers.
According to the Alzheimer’s Associationlittle can be done to prevent the disease, but eating healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle seems to be a good start. There’s also a chance that remaining “mentally active” through a strong social life and other avenues could help.
The results of this study are interesting, but not enough to firmly prove anything. Or, as researchers said, “We view these findings not as conclusive, but as hypothesis generating. Further research is necessary … ”
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
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