Swiss Study Focuses on Alzheimer’s Risk and Exposure to EM Fields

Doctors at the Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Berne used census and mortality data from 4.7 million Swiss residents to investigate all deaths taking place there between 2000 and 2005. Using a proportional hazard model, they found that people who lived within 50 meters of high-voltage electricity lines were more likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease and senile dementia. Still, Dr. Matthias Egger, the lead researcher, pointed out the limited public health implications of this study since less than 0.25 of a percent of Swiss actually reside within that range of high-power lines. Also, although he and his research team were able to establish a statistical correlation, a casual relationship between the diseases and EM exposure could not be proven with the data they studied. Additional information on this study is available on the institute’s website in bothEnglishandGerman