Living Near Green Spaces Reduces the Risk of Ischemic Stroke By 16%

Green spaces, an area consisting of plants and trees, tend to protect individuals from an ischemic stroke, according to a new study in Spain. The study showed the closer a person who lives near green spaces is more resilient to stroke. It also explored those atmospheric pollutants are less in this kind of green setting.

The study has taken into account pollutants from vehicle traffic, especially in the urban areas and metropolitan cities of Spain, to be a key factor between ischemic stroke and green spaces. The study implied there is an evident lesser risk of airborne pollutants when living far from traffic.

Previous research claimed that long-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of an individual getting a stroke. In light of the groundbreaking discovery, current policies on urban atmospheric pollutants will likely be reassessed.

Green Spaces and Air Pollutants

(Photo : Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the study published in the journal Environment International on Tuesday, March 15, living near green spaces reduces an individual's risk of ischemic stroke by 16%. The study discovered that people who have green spaces less than 300 meters from their homes are more protected.

By examining air pollutants or atmospheric pollutants from vehicle traffic, the study's researchers were able to determine that green spaces protect an individual from these pollutants-which increases the risk of stroke.

The study was conducted by researchers from Spain's Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Hospital del Mar, Catalan Health Quality and Assessment Agency, Catalan Department of Health, and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

Also Read: Air Pollution Causes 7 Million Deaths Yearly, Prompting WHO to Strengthen Guidelines

Sample Study in Catalonia

Through the geographic referencing method, the research team used a quantitative approach by examining 3.5 million residents of the Catalonia autonomous region of Spain. The study sample includes participants over the age of 18 who had no prior history of stroke.

The team also analyzed the distance of their homes from green spaces, as well as areas that have busy road traffic activities-generating three atmospheric pollutants known as microns, nitrogen dioxide, and soot particles, as per the EurekAlert site of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The method and approach used in the study yielded results that show that individuals who are surrounded by a large number of green spaces provide risk reduction effects against an ischemic stroke. Green spaces pertain to an area consisting of grass, plants, or trees.

Health Risks of Urbanization

The shift from an agricultural to an urban setting has rapidly increased, especially during the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 18^th century. Characterized by a shift of population and industrial activities from rural to urban areas, urbanization has been an essential component of modernization.

However, the advantages of urbanization also pose risk greater than rural life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 91% of people living in urban areas are breathing polluted air-wherein multiple studies have shown it can cause a stroke.

According to a separate study published in The Lancet in August 2021, there is growing evidence that suggests ambient air pollution increases the risk of stroke, including ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke.

More than 55% of the world's population are living in urban areas and this will continue to increase up to 68% by the year 2050, says the WHO.