Is Air Pollution Tied to Higher Dementia Risk?

A study published in BMJ Open found that among older adults living in London, those in areas with the highest amount of annual air pollution concentration were at a subsequently higher risk of dementia compared to those living in areas with the lowest pollution. Specifically, those in the top fifth areas of exposure were 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia in the study than those in the bottom fifth, even after adjusting for other risk factors like smoking or socioeconomic status, reports CNN . The findings align with separate research that has explored associations between air pollution and aging. A study published last year in Environment International found a positive association between fine particulate matter exposure and dementia incidence among about 2.1 million older adults living in Ontario, Canada. Another study, published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , found that long-term exposure to air pollution in China can impede cognitive performance in verbal and math tests.