The trees outside your window may be guarding your memory: greenery within 100 metres, 20% lower dementia risk

For 16 years, researchers from Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet followed 2,993 Stockholmers aged 60 and over, mapping the greenery around each home from satellite pictures and tracking who developed dementia — 477 did. The pattern was clear and close to home: people with more vegetation within 100 metres (about 328 feet) of where they lived had about a 20% lower risk, with the link weaker for greenery farther away and stronger among women. Everyday green — a courtyard, street trees, a small garden — may calm stress, improve sleep, and nudge people outdoors and into each other's company. 'Brain health needs to be considered when we plan and develop our cities,' says lead author Cecilia Stenfors. The study is published in Alzheimer's & Dementia.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being