WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A large review of health data from nearly 30 million people has highlighted a strong link between air pollution and a higher risk of dementia, including pollution from everyday sources like car exhaust.
In recent years, scientists have suspected that air pollution could increase the risk of dementia. But the findings from different studies were not always consistent.
To get clearer answers, researchers at the University of Cambridge's Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit analyzed results from many past studies, even those with mixed results. Their findings were published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
'Epidemiological evidence plays a crucial role in allowing us to determine whether or not air pollution increases the risk of dementia and by how much. Our work provides further evidence to support the observation that long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution is a risk factor for the onset of dementia in previously healthy adults,' senior author Haneen Khreis from the MRC Epidemiology Unit said.
The review included 51 studies based on data from more than 29 million people, mostly in wealthier countries. Of these, 34 studies were used in a detailed analysis - 15 from North America, 10 from Europe, 7 from Asia, and 2 from Australia.
The scientists, who presented their findings at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Toronto, also said that people worried about past lead exposure should try to reduce other dementia risks like high blood pressure, smoking, and loneliness.
Their data showed that for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter (?g/m³) of fine particle pollution (PM2.5), the risk of dementia went up by 17 percent. Moreover, for every 10 ?g/m³ of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), the risk increased by 3 percent.
'These findings underscore the need for an interdisciplinary approach to dementia prevention. Preventing dementia is not just the responsibility of healthcare: this study strengthens the case that urban planning, transport policy, and environmental regulation all have a significant role to play,' first author Christiaan Bredell from the University of Cambridge and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust noted.
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