A new study has been published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, of neurodegenerative disorders in Switzerland in relation to proximity to power lines. See the press release by the university concerned.
It reports an association between living within 50 m of a power line (particularly for longer periods) and Alzheimer's disease but not ALS, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis.
This study adds to the existing literature which we summarise here including a compilation of the abstracts of the epidemiological studies. In particular, the most recent authoritative review of this subject was by WHO in 2005, concluding:
"When evaluated across all the studies, there is only very limited evidence of an association between estimated ELF exposure and disease risk... Altogether, the evidence for an association between ELF exposure and Alzheimer's disease is inadequate."
The study was reported in some UK newspapers - the Daily Express and the Daily Telegraph.
We give more details of this study on a separate page.
Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Nov 5. [Epub ahead of print]
Residence Near Power Lines and Mortality From Neurodegenerative Diseases: Longitudinal Study of the Swiss Population.
Huss A, Spoerri A, Egger M, Röösli M; for the Swiss National Cohort Study.
The relation between residential magnetic field exposure from power lines and mortality from neurodegenerative conditions was analyzed among 4.7 million persons of the Swiss National Cohort (linking mortality and census data), covering the period 2000-2005. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the relation of living in the proximity of 220-380 kV power lines and the risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases, with adjustment for a range of potential confounders. Overall, the adjusted hazard ratio for Alzheimer's disease in persons living within 50 m of a 220-380 kV power line was 1.24 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80, 1.92) compared with persons who lived at a distance of 600 m or more. There was a dose-response relation with respect to years of residence in the immediate vicinity of power lines and Alzheimer's disease: Persons living at least 5 years within 50 m had an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.51 (95% CI: 0.91, 2.51), increasing to 1.78 (95% CI: 1.07, 2.96) with at least 10 years and to 2.00 (95% CI: 1.21, 3.33) with at least 15 years. The pattern was similar for senile dementia. There was little evidence for an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, or multiple sclerosis. |
