00:00Migraines, sleep disorders, Parkinson's disease and dementia affect millions of people worldwide.
00:05But as the planet gets warmer, experts warn that climate change could put brain health at further risk.
00:10One major risk is stroke, with the risk rising during heat waves,
00:13particularly when temperatures climb over 30 degrees Celsius.
00:16It's considered that maybe in the next 20-30 years,
00:20this fraction of heat stroke, as we call it, which is now under 1% of all stroke cases, increases
00:27to 5-8%.
00:28But the impact of rising temperatures goes beyond the immediate effects of heat.
00:33Warmer nights can disrupt sleep, reducing the amount of sleep and REM sleep people get.
00:37Over time, poor sleep can have consequences for brain function and overall health.
00:41If you don't sleep well, not maybe one night, but for a longer time,
00:47there's a huge increase, let's say, for the risk of getting a stroke or also becoming demented.
00:55So there are many aspects which can occur.
00:58Dehydration and air pollution can add to the risks.
01:00For example, people living with Parkinson's disease may be especially vulnerable to dehydration,
01:05while air pollution can trigger inflammation and affect the brain and blood vessels.
01:09With heat, it's also about dehydration and then the increase of clotting for the blood.
01:15And then this increases your risk of a stroke, for example.
01:19And the effects are not the same for everyone.
01:21Children, pregnant women, older people, and those with existing health conditions may be more vulnerable to environmental changes.
01:28Heat or even too extreme cold during pregnancy has an impact on the connectivity of the brain.
01:37And this has been studied, let's say, 10 years later.
01:41And there are other studies indicating that heat during pregnancy also has an impact on cognitive functions.
01:48Not on an extreme high level, but that there is some kind of impact.
01:53Socio-economic factors also play a role as people with fewer resources may have less access to air conditioning
01:59and live in environments with greater exposure to heat and pollution.
02:03If you have heat and you cannot afford an AC, then you are more bothered than this than maybe other
02:13people who can.
02:14And the same for which kind of food you can buy or in which kind of condition you live and
02:22in which kind of surroundings.
02:23And we also know that the urban situation had a lot of impact if you have noise, if you have,
02:30let's say, fight in the streets or something.
02:33So this is something which also affects your well-being and your brain health.
02:41As temperatures are set to rise, protecting brain health may require more than medical care alone.
02:47Better sleep, access to green spaces and measures to reduce heat and air pollution could play a vital role in
02:53reducing the risks.
02:54Using green zones, so going out to the forest, one hour per week decreases your stroke risk by 3%
03:03or dementia risk for 4%.
03:05And of course, when it comes to sleep, to consider that you sleep in a protected environment in terms of
03:11light, of noise.
03:12And of course, considering that our politicians take care, that we have some certain safeguards in terms of when it
03:23comes to pollution, toxins.
