Living in certain areas 'reduces risk of painful disease', says new study

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Living in areas with plenty of gardens and parks reduces the risk of brittle bone disease, according to a new study.Lower air pollution in leafy green spaces is a "significant contributory factor" towards boosting bone density and lowering the risk of osteoporosis, say scientists.Osteoporosis - also known as "brittle bone disease" - weakens our joints, making them fragile and prone to fracture.

It can lead to chronic pain, diminished mobility, and poorer quality of life.The disease is caused by genetic, hormonal and environmental factors.

While exposure to green spaces has been linked to lower risks of poor health, it was not clear if that extends to the risk of osteoporosis.Already a major health issue worldwide, doctors say the global prevalence of osteoporosis is set to rise with rapidly ageing of populations and changes in lifestyle.Researchers analysed data held in the UK Biobank on 391,298 people, with an average age of 56, just over half of whom were women.All of them had information recorded on their bone mineral density, and potentially influential factors including annual household income, education level, employment status, residential area and alcohol consumption.Their genetic risk of osteoporosis was calculated, and a widely used measure - called a normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is based on satellite imagery - was used to determine the amount of green space in their residential area.The annual average exposures to the pollutants nitrogen oxide (NO2) and particulate matter PM2.5 were estimated based on residential postcode and data from the Escape project, which is looking at the long-term effects on human health of exposure to air pollution in Europe.Each participant was monitored until