Dementia is a general term for the loss of memory, thinking, and decision-making ability that interferes with daily life.
A meta-analysis reviewed 17 studies studying transport-related air pollution.
According to a recently published meta-analysis, neurologymedical journals American Neurological Associationhigher exposure to a specific type of traffic-related air pollution known as particulate matter may be associated with an increased risk of dementia. the researcher who guessed2.5, consisting of airborne contaminants less than 2.5 microns in diameter. A meta-analysis examined all available studies on the relationship between air pollution and dementia risk.
“As people continue to live longer, conditions like dementia are becoming more common, so detecting and understanding preventable risk factors is key to slowing the rise of this disease.” Western University in London, Canada. “The World Health Organization reports that more than 90% of the world’s population lives in areas with higher than recommended levels of air pollution, so our results support the need to tighten air quality regulations. , provides more evidence for accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy.”
Seventeen studies were analyzed by researchers for meta-analysis. The minimum age of participants he was 40 years old. Over 91 million people participated in all studies. 5.5 million of them, or 6%, developed dementia.
Studies considered age, gender, smoking, level of education, and other variables that may increase or decrease the risk of dementia.
Researchers analyzed exposure rates to air pollution in people with and without dementia and found that people without dementia had less average daily exposure to particulate matter air pollutants. The US Environmental Pollution Agency (EPA) considers exposures up to an average of 12 µg/m3 per year to be safe.
Researchers found that for each microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) increase in exposure to particulate matter, the risk of dementia increased by 3%.
“Our meta-analysis does not prove that air pollution causes dementia, but only shows an association. I hope it will encourage them to play an important role,” said Abolhasani. “Understanding the risk of dementia from exposure to air pollution has led people to advocate for sustainable energy use, choosing to live in areas with lower pollution levels, reducing traffic pollution in residential areas, etc. , steps can be taken to reduce exposure.”
They also looked at exposure to smog-forming nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone, but found that risk increased significantly when these other classes of pollutants were considered alone. did not.
A limitation of the meta-analysis was the small number of studies on this particular topic. Abolhasani said further research is needed.
Reference: Air Pollution and Incidence of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Ehsan Abolhasani, Vladimir Hachinski, Nargess Ghazaleh, Mahmoud Reza Azarpazhooh, Naghmeh Mokhber, Janet Martin, 26 October 2022, Available here. neurology.
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201419
