Residence near power lines and mortality from neurodegenerative diseases: longitudinal study of the Swiss population

The relation between residential magnetic field exposure frompower lines and mortality from neurodegenerative conditionswas analyzed among 4.7 million persons of the Swiss NationalCohort (linking mortality and census data), covering the period2000–2005. Cox proportional hazard models were used toanalyze the relation of living in the proximity of 220–380kV power lines and the risk of death from neurodegenerativediseases, with adjustment for a range of potential confounders.Overall, the adjusted hazard ratio for Alzheimer's disease inpersons living within 50 m of a 220–380 kV power linewas 1.24 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80, 1.92) comparedwith persons who lived at a distance of 600 m or more. Therewas a dose-response relation with respect to years of residencein the immediate vicinity of power lines and Alzheimer's disease:Persons living at least 5 years within 50 m had an adjustedhazard ratio of 1.51 (95% CI: 0.91, 2.51), increasing to 1.78(95% CI: 1.07, 2.96) with at least 10 years and to 2.00 (95%CI: 1.21, 3.33) with at least 15 years. The pattern was similarfor senile dementia. There was little evidence for an increasedrisk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease,or multiple sclerosis. dementia; neurodegenerative diseases; radiation, nonionizing