中文导读

城市里的“自然”不只是大公园，家门口的树木、草地和灌木丛也许同样重要。瑞典斯德哥尔摩大学和卡罗琳斯卡医学院的研究团队在《阿尔茨海默病与痴呆》（Alzheimer’s & Dementia）期刊发表研究，追踪了斯德哥尔摩市中心2993名60岁及以上、起初没有痴呆的老人，时间长达16年，其间有477人患上痴呆。研究者每年用卫星图像测量每位参与者住所周围100米、250米和500米范围内的绿植多少。结果发现，100米内绿植更多的人，患痴呆的风险约低20%；范围扩大后关联明显减弱，而女性中的关联比男性更明显。研究考虑了年龄、教育、社会经济状况、生活方式、空气污染、交通噪声和离水域远近等因素。文章大致按“新发现—背景问题—研究方法—主要结果—可能解释—局限与建议”展开。阅读时可留意 but、still、even so 如何引出转折，以及 may、suggests、only shows a link、cannot prove 等表达如何区分“关联”和“因果”。

正文

Large parks are not the only kind of nature in a city. A new study from Sweden suggests that the trees, grass and bushes right outside people’s homes may also matter for the aging brain. Researchers from Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute found that older city residents with more greenery within 100 meters of their homes had about a 20% lower risk of developing dementia over 16 years.

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大公园并不是城市里唯一的自然。瑞典的一项新研究表明，人们家门外的树木、草地和灌木丛，也可能对衰老中的大脑有影响。斯德哥尔摩大学和卡罗琳斯卡医学院的研究人员发现，住所100米内绿植更多的城市老年居民，在16年间患痴呆的风险约低20%。

Dementia is a group of conditions that slowly damage memory and thinking, and it becomes more common as people grow older. Scientists therefore want to know which everyday surroundings may raise or lower the risk. Earlier studies have linked green areas to better mental health and lower stress, but few have followed the same people for many years to see who later develops dementia.

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痴呆是一组会慢慢损害记忆和思维能力的疾病，而且随着年龄增长会更常见。因此，科学家希望了解哪些日常环境可能提高或降低这种风险。早期研究已将绿地与更好的心理健康和更低的压力联系起来，但很少有研究长期追踪同一批人，观察谁后来患上了痴呆。

The new study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, did exactly that. It included 2,993 people aged 60 or older who lived in central Stockholm and did not have dementia at the start. Every year, the team used satellite images to measure how much plant life surrounded each home at three distances: 100, 250 and 500 meters. During the 16 years, 477 of the participants developed dementia.

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这项发表在《阿尔茨海默病与痴呆》期刊上的新研究正是这样做的。研究纳入了2993名60岁及以上、住在斯德哥尔摩市中心且起初没有痴呆的人。研究团队每年用卫星图像测量每处住所周围100米、250米和500米三个距离范围内的植被多少。在这16年里，477名参与者患上了痴呆。

The link was clearest for the area closest to home. For greenery within 250 or 500 meters, it became weaker and was no longer statistically clear. The link was also stronger among women than among men. Importantly, the researchers took many other factors into account, including age, education, social and economic background, lifestyle, air pollution, traffic noise and how close people lived to water.

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这种关联在离家最近的范围内最为明显。对于250米或500米内的绿植，关联变弱，在统计上也不再明确。这种关联在女性中也比在男性中更强。重要的是，研究人员考虑了许多其他因素，包括年龄、教育、社会经济背景、生活方式、空气污染、交通噪声以及住处离水域有多近。

Why might nearby plants help? The authors point to earlier research. Green places can reduce stress and help people recover from mental tiredness. Their own studies have linked nearby greenery with better sleep, better mental health and less use of medicine for depression. Green streets may also encourage people to walk, spend time outdoors and meet their neighbors. “This is nature that forms part of the everyday home environment,” the authors said, adding that it may matter even more when people spend more time at home.

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为什么附近的植物可能有帮助？作者援引了此前的研究。绿色场所能够减轻压力，帮助人们从精神疲劳中恢复。他们自己的研究也发现，附近绿植更多与睡眠更好、心理健康更好以及抗抑郁药物使用更少有关。绿色的街道还可能鼓励人们散步、多在户外活动并与邻居见面。作者说：“这是构成日常居家环境一部分的自然。”他们还补充说，当人们在家中度过更多时间时，这一点可能更加重要。

Still, the study only shows a link. It cannot prove that plants themselves protect the brain, because other differences between neighborhoods may also play a role. Even so, lead author Cecilia Stenfors says brain health should be considered when cities are planned. She suggests protecting existing trees and creating green courtyards, gardens and street plants that people with different needs can easily reach and use.

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不过，这项研究只显示了一种关联。它不能证明植物本身保护了大脑，因为不同街区之间的其他差异也可能起作用。即便如此，第一作者塞西莉亚·斯滕福什（Cecilia Stenfors）表示，规划城市时应当考虑大脑健康。她建议保护现有树木，并营造绿色庭院、花园和街道植被，让有不同需求的人都能方便地到达和使用。

新闻来源

• Medical Xpress · Greenspace in the immediate surroundings of the home linked to lower dementia risk (19 Oct 2026)
• Stockholms universitet · Grönska nära hemmet kopplas till lägre risk för demens (13 Oct 2026)
• Alzheimer’s & Dementia · Precision residential greenspace, urban environmental exposures, and incident dementia among older adults in Sweden: A 16-year cohort study (Stenfors et al., 2026)

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