According to recent studies conducted in Atlanta, Georgia, air pollution, particularly traffic-related fine particulate matter, is a potentially important contributor to severe forms of dementia.
The study implies that traffic-related air pollution may be a substantial cause of dementia, even in people who are not genetically susceptible to the condition.
The study, performed by an Emory University team in Atlanta, focused on the impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is made up of particles less than 2.5 millimeters in diameter.
This form of pollution, which is common along busy highways, has been related to the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain, a trait associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The study studied brain tissue from 224 people, 90% of whom had dementia, with a focus on those living in areas with high levels of traffic-related air pollution.
The findings demonstrated a link between high PM2.5 levels and the presence of amyloid plaques in the patients’ brains.
Individuals with greater PM2.5 exposure were nearly twice as likely to have higher levels of plaques in the year before death, while those with heightened exposure in the previous three years were 87% more likely to have higher plaque levels.
Importantly, the study discovered that the link between air pollution and Alzheimer’s severity was greater in persons without the ApoE4 gene variation, implying that environmental factors, such as air pollution, may play a role in Alzheimer’s risk, especially in those without a strong genetic predisposition.
The findings, shedding light on the potential health risks posed by air pollution, were published in the February 21, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
