Air pollution could raise the likelihood of dementia, study finds
People who live in areas with high levels of air pollution, especially from sources like wildfires or farming, may face an increased dementia risk. A study published on Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine examined the potential impact of particulate pollution on dementia and revealed an association, even when pollution levels remained below the national ambient air quality standards.
Stronger link between dementia and wildfire pollution
While earlier studies primarily emphasized particle pollution from sources like fossil fuels, researchers discovered a stronger link between dementia and pollution stemming from farming or wildfires. Study author Dr. Sara Dubowsky Adar, associate chair of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health told CNN, "At first, when agriculture and wildfires were the two that popped out, the team was surprised."
What is particle pollution?
The US Environmental Protection Agency defines particle pollution, or PM2.5, as a blend of solid and liquid droplets suspended in the air. It arises from sources like coal- and natural gas-fired plants, vehicles, agriculture, and wildfires, appearing as dirt, dust, soot, or smoke.
Key findings of the study
Out of nearly 28,000 older adults who took part in the study between the years 1998 and 2016, around 15% developed dementia over 10 years. The participants who developed dementia were likelier to be non-white, have lower levels of education, and live in areas in the US with elevated levels of particulate matter near their residences.
Approach employed for the study
The researchers studied survey data that asked participants about their health, cognition, and health behaviors every two years. They also collected air quality information from the Environmental Protection Agency and details about nearby transit and population density in the area. This helped them figure out the amount of fine particles (known as PM2.5) in the air where the participants lived.
Reduce pollution to lower dementia risk, study says
"Our cohort study suggests that reducing PM2.5 and perhaps selectively targeting certain sources for policy interventions might be effective strategies to reduce the burden of dementia at the population level," read the paper, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers further added that more research is needed to confirm the relationship between pollution and dementia.
