Taxi and ambulance drivers show lower Alzheimer's death risk, study finds
A large study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has found that people working in jobs requiring constant navigation, such as taxi and ambulance drivers, may have a lower risk of dying from Alzheimer's disease.
Conducted by researchers at Harvard University, the study examined the employment histories and causes of death of millions of people in the United States. After comparing around 400 occupations, they found that taxi drivers and ambulance drivers had the lowest proportion of deaths linked to Alzheimer's disease.
One possible explanation, the researchers suggest, is that these professions require workers to constantly plan routes, remember streets, adapt to changing traffic conditions, and navigate unfamiliar locations. In contrast, bus drivers, who typically follow fixed routes, did not show the same apparent protection.
The study adds to evidence that mentally stimulating activities, particularly those involving spatial navigation, might help build cognitive reserve and delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms. However, the authors caution that the findings are observational and do not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind this association and whether specific navigation exercises could be developed into preventive strategies for Alzheimer's disease.
