Exposure to pollution linked to brain atrophy, memory decline

December, 2019

Data from 998 older women (73-87) participating in the long-running Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging found that those exposed to higher levels of air pollution experienced greater declines in episodic memory and more Alzheimer’s-like brain atrophy than those who breathed cleaner air.

The finding is consistent with previous research indicating that fine particle pollution exposure increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Fine particle pollution is also associated with asthma, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and premature death.

Factors such as differences in income, education, race, geographic region, cigarette smoking, were taken into account in the analysis.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/uosc-etp112019.php

Younan D, Petkus AJ, Widaman KF, et al. Particulate matter and episodic memory decline mediated by early neuroanatomic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease [published correction appears in Brain. 2020 Mar 1;143(3):e24]. Brain. 2020;143(1):289-302. doi:10.1093/brain/awz348

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