A small study has suggested that people who live in neighborhoods with more green spaces may have less stress, healthier blood vessels and a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes than residents of communities without many outdoor recreation areas.
Researchers note in the Journal of the American Heart Association that at the population level, residential green space has long been linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease and respiratory problems, as well as a lower risk of hospitalization for events like heart attacks and strokes. But there isn’t as much evidence showing whether this connection holds true for individuals.
People in greener areas had a higher capacity to maintain healthy blood vessels than residents of places without much green space.
“Both the magnitude of the effect and the pervasiveness of the influence of greenery on health are surprising,” said senior study author Aruni Bhatnagar of the University of Louisville.
“If the results of this study bear out, it would mean that frequent interactions with nature may be one way of decreasing risk of heart disease,” Bhatnaga admitted.
“While it is true that in most U.S. cities, those of higher socioeconomic status live in greener areas, in our study, we statistically adjusted for income and education within that neighborhood, so it seems that the effect of greenness is independent of socioeconomic status,” Bhatnagar added.
Acccording to Hirsch “Green space may also provide a barrier to stressful environmental features, including traffic noise and displeasing structures. At the same time, green space has been described as restorative, blocking negative thoughts and feelings and thus reducing stress.”
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