New NIH study links air pollution to higher dementia risk.
Air Pollution Linked to Higher Rates of Dementia, Study Finds
A groundbreaking study funded by the National Institutes of Health has revealed a concerning connection between long-term exposure to air pollution and an increased risk of dementia. The findings shed light on the urgent need for informed health and policy decisions in the face of growing air pollution from wildfires and other emissions.
“As we experience the effects of air pollution from wildfires and other emissions locally and internationally, these findings contribute to the strong evidence needed to best inform health and policy decisions,” said Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, the third largest branch of the NIH.
Research Methodology
Research scientists from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor conducted an extensive study involving nearly 28,000 adults aged 50. Over a period of 18 years, from 1998 to 2016, these individuals were interviewed every two years to monitor changes in cognition and overall health.
The team then correlated this data with local air quality measurements from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), based on each participant’s address. The primary focus of the study was on PM2.5, which refers to particulate matter less than 2.5 microns.
In addition to EPA data, the researchers also considered over 300 other geographic variables, including population density, emissions sources, and land use in the area.
Key Findings
During the 10-year study period, approximately 15% of the participants developed dementia. However, the areas with higher air pollution showed the highest rates of incident dementia within the regional population.
The study’s authors discovered that air pollutants from agricultural and wildfire emissions were strongly associated with greater rates of dementia. Traffic and coal combustion emissions also had a significant connection to incident dementia compared to other forms of air pollution.
Based on these findings, the authors suggest that reducing PM2.5 levels can be an effective population-based approach to promote healthy cognitive aging.
Implications and Risks
Exposure to particulate matter air pollution, as stated by the EPA, can lead to various cardiopulmonary problems, including asthma, decreased lung function, irregular heartbeat, and non-fatal heart attacks. The most vulnerable groups at risk for complications are children, pregnant women, older individuals, and those with pre-existing heart and lung conditions.
What sets this study apart is not only its association between dementia and air pollution but also its identification of specific sources of air pollution that are most likely to contribute to higher rates of dementia, as well as the geographic distribution of the disease.
Future Research and Policy Interventions
“As the NIA continues to conduct and fund studies on risk factors for dementia, these results will help inform future research and potentially guide policy interventions,” said Jonathan King of NIA’s Health and Retirement Survey project, a key source of data for the study.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 5.8 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Shockingly, around 200,000 of these patients are under the age of 65. The CDC estimates that by 2060, the number of Alzheimer’s patients in the United States will reach a staggering 14 million.
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