| Title: | Associations between residential environments and the risk of incident Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment: a 13-year prospective cohort study with 426,220 participants |
| Journal: | Aging & Mental Health |
| Published: | 7 Jun 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42251690/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2026.2678989 |
Publication 20840
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Evidence linking residential environments to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains limited.</p>
METHODS: We followed 426,220 dementia-free UK Biobank participants for a median 13.6 years. Cox models evaluated associations between green, blue spaces, and natural environment (300 and 1000 m buffers) and AD/MCI risk, alongside exploratory mediation and gene-environment interactions.</p>
RESULTS: Incident cases included 3513 AD and 864 MCI. For AD, higher green space, blue space, and natural environment within 300 m lowered risk (decreases of 5.8, 0.8, and 5.7% per IQR, respectively). At 1000 m, only green space (6.7%) and natural environment (5.7%) remained inversely associated. Blue space exhibited a non-linear AD association. For MCI, green and natural spaces consistently lowered risk across both buffers (14.9-22.2% reductions); blue space was non-significant. Analyses showed limited mediation by air pollutants and selective additive gene-environment synergy.</p>
CONCLUSION: Higher residential green space and natural environment are observationally associated with reduced AD and MCI risks, whereas blue space associations with MCI remain inconclusive. Underlying mechanisms and exploratory gene-environment synergies require further validation.</p>
10 Authors
- Xinjie Liu
- Yurong Zhang
- Xuening Zhang
- Tongmin Chang
- Zengle Zhao
- Yuan Zhang
- Zhen Li
- Zilin Li
- Xiaorong Yang
- Ming Lu
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health