According to a meta-analysis recently published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, higher exposure to a certain type of traffic-related air pollution known as particulate matter may be connected to an increased risk of dementia. Researchers focused on fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is made up of airborne pollutants with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 microns. The meta-analysis examined all available studies on the relationship between air pollution and dementia risk.
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| Traffic Pollution Linked With an Increased Risk of Dementia |
“As people continue to live longer, conditions like dementia are becoming more common, so detecting and understanding preventable risk factors is key to reducing the increase of this disease,” said study author Ehsan Abolhasani, MD, MSc, of Western University in London, Canada.
“Since a report by the World Health Organization showed that more than 90% of the world population is living in areas with higher than recommended levels of air pollution, our results provide more evidence for enforcing regulations for air quality and accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energies.”
Journal Reference: “Air Pollution and Incidence of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” by Ehsan Abolhasani, Vladimir Hachinski, Nargess Ghazaleh, Mahmoud Reza Azarpazhooh, Naghmeh Mokhber and Janet Martin, 26 October 2022, Neurology.
