This silent threat around us. This is invisible, but still not noticed. What about the destruction it causes? Brain damage. We are talking about the overall threat to health that secretly hides around us. A new study has shown that the long impact of this danger can increase the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia disease, the conditions that are believed to be mainly linked to lifestyles and genetics. A study led by researchers in the Epidemiology Department of Medical Studies (MRC) at the University of Cambridge showed that long -term effects of air pollution may increase the risk of dementia. The conclusions are published in Planetary Health Lancet.Dementia is on the rise all over the world
Dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, affects more than 57.4 million people worldwide. This number is expected to be up to 152.8 million by 2050. Although some signs indicate that the prevalence of dementia is reduced in certain regions such as Europe and North America, it is possible to reduce the risk of population levels; Elsewhere, the picture is less promising.The air pollution and dementia
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Researchers of the new study found a strange connection between air pollution and the risk of dementia. Although several studies have shown the possibility of communication between dementia and air pollutants, there was less evidence. MRC researchers conducted a systematic review and metoanalysis of existing scientific literature to further study this connection. They examined 51 research, which included 29 million participants, mainly from high -income countries. 34 documents were included in the metoanalysis: 15 appeared in North America, 10 in Europe, seven in Asia and two in Australia. They found a positive and statistically significant connection between three types of pollutants and dementia. These include:
- PM2.5: particles with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less. This polluting agent is small enough to inhale deep into the lungs. The source of these particles includes vehicles, power plants, industrial processes, furnaces that burn wood and fireplaces, as well as construction dust. They are also formed in the atmosphere of complex chemical reactions that include other pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These particles remain in the air for a long time and travel for a long way.
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2): This polluting stems from the burning of fossil fuels. It is found in the exhaust gases of the car, especially diesel exhaust and industrial emissions, as well as in gas stoves and heaters. The impact of NO2 in high concentrations can irritate the respiratory system by worsening and causing conditions such as asthma and reducing lung function.
- Soot: This polluting agent is formed from the emissions of vehicles and burning wood. This can spare heat and affect the climate. When inhaled, it can deepen into the lungs, complicating respiratory diseases and increasing the risk of heart problems.
Researchers have found that every 10 μg per cubic meter (μg/m³) PM2.5 increase the relative risk of dementia by 17%. In cities such as Central London, the PM2.5 level was recorded at 10 μg/m³ in 2023.As for NO2, researchers have found that every 10 μg/m3 has increased by 3%. Nothing is worth it that the average measurement of the roadside side for this pollution in the Central London in 2023 was 33 mcg/m³. For each 1 μg/m³ soot, as found in PM2.5, the relative risk increased by 13%. “Epidemiological data play a crucial role in determining whether air pollution is a risk of dementia and how much. Our work provides additional evidence to the observation that long -term exposure to air pollution is a risk factor for dementia in previously healthy adults. Fighting air pollution can provide long -term health, social, climate and economic benefits. This can reduce a huge load on patients, families and caregivers, with a pressure mitigation on the overexcited health care systems, “said the senior author of D -Ranin Khris from the MRC Epidemiology unit. As air pollution leads to dementia
There are several mechanisms by which air pollution causes dementia. One of the proposed explanations is that it causes inflammation in the brain and oxidative stress, as promotes and progressing dementia. It is believed that air pollution causes these processes through direct entry into the brain or with the same mechanisms that underpin the lungs and cardiovascular diseases.“Efforts to reduce the impact of these key pollutants will probably help reduce the burden for society. More stringent restrictions for several pollutants may be needed, focusing on large participants such as transport and industry sectors. Given the degree of air pollution, there is an urgent need for regional, national and international political activities for balanced air pollution, “said Joint First Author Claire Rogovsky, also from the MRC epidemiology department.The impact of pollutants was associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but the effect was stronger for vascular dementia, affecting about 180,000 people in the UK. However, this requires additional research. “These conclusions emphasize the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the prevention of dementia. Prevention of dementia is not only responsibility for health care: this study enhances the case that urban planning, transport policy and environmental regulations play a significant role,” the NHS Foundation Foundation Foundation added.
