BRICKIES RISK OF ALZHEIMER’S HELL
Heavy labour ‘ can put workers on road to dementia’
BRICKIES, road diggers and packers are 55% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than office- based workers.
Jobs that involve manual labour significantly increase the risk of the devastating mental illness.
They wear down the brain and heart as well as muscles and joints, say scientists.
It could lead to vulnerable individuals being screened before memory loss and confusion emerge.
Prof Kirsten NabeNielsen of Copenhagen University said: “Before the study we assumed hard physical work was associated with a higher risk of dementia. It’s something other studies have tried to prove but ours is the first to connect the two things convincingly.”
A recent study by the same college showed a healthy lifestyle such as regular walks or cycle rides can halve the risk of dementia. The World Health Organisation also lists physical activity as an important factor in staving off the condition.
But Prof Nabe- Nielsen said: “Our study suggests it must be a ‘ good’ form of physical activity, which hard physical work is not.”
Study co- author Prof Andreas Holtermann said: “A lot of workplaces have taken steps to improve the health of their staff.
“The problem is it’s the most well- educated and resourceful part of the population that uses these initiatives.
“Those with a shorter education often struggle with overweight, pain and poor physical fitness.”
He added: “People with a shorter education doing manual labour need to take preventative steps by strengthening the body via, for example, exercise and strength training.”