In the Netherlands we use a lot of electricity, which comes to us through high-voltage lines and underground cables. We will probably use even more electricity in the future. High-voltage pylons create magnetic fields, which may affect our health. That is why the government has asked the Health Council to find out whether high-voltage lines are bad for our health. The conclusion of the study is that living near high-voltage pylons does not increase the risk of dementia.
The Health Council has listed all available research data on high-voltage lines and dementia. Added together, they found no increased risk of dementia in people living near high-voltage lines. In addition, they looked at occupational exposure, for example in people who work for electricity companies. There exposure may be higher than in a residential environment. Here they found evidence of a small increase in the risk of dementia.
Exposure in the workplace
People who were occupationally exposed to magnetic fields developed dementia slightly more often than people who had other professions. Unfortunately, these studies did not look at the amount and strength of exposure. Because when there is actually an effect, you expect that people with the highest exposure are also at the highest risk. Now other explanations are also possible. For example, this profession may have an unhealthier lifestyle, which is a risk factor is for dementia.
Precautions remain the same
Precautions are already in place in the Netherlands to keep exposure to magnetic radiation as low as possible. New homes, for example, must be at a certain distance from power lines. The investigation shows that further tightening of this measure is not necessary. In the workplace, the advice remains to keep exposure to magnetic fields as low as possible.
Reducing the risk of dementia
There is no reason to worry about an increased risk of dementia if you live close to power lines. There are other factors that increase the risk of dementia, such as low mental activity, little exercise, overweight and smoking. Fortunately, you can do something about these risk factors yourself. Read more about the risk factors and what you can do yourself to reduce your risk of dementia.
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