Higher rates of new cases of dementia in a population over time — known as incident dementia — are linked to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, especially from agriculture and open fires, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Scientists found that 15 percent of older adults developed incident dementia during the average follow-up of 10 years.
Compared with those who did not develop dementia, participants with incident dementia were more likely to be non-white, have less formal education, less wealth and higher surrounding PM2.5 levels at their address. While agriculture and open fires had the strongest air pollution-dementia associations, road traffic, non-road traffic and coal combustion for energy production and industry were also associated with incident dementia.
Alzheimer’s TODAY asked Nathaniel A. Chin, MD, an assistant professor (CHS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, department of medicine, geriatric division, for advice on how to minimize damage from air pollution exposure. Chin is a member of AFA’s Medical, Scientific & Memory Screening Advisory Board.
“Wearing masks can be helpful. It may not be as feasible or practical for most people, but it could help, particularly when one wears an N95.”
When this topic comes up in his clinic, Chin suggests the following:
- Check the daily air pollution forecasts in your area. This became a particularly common practice with the Canadian fires.
- Avoid being outdoors during high air pollution levels. Try not to exercise outdoors when air pollution levels are high, or even moderate.
- Limit time in congested traffic areas.
- Avoid fires. Avoid burning wood or trash.
- Spend more free time in remote or rural parts of your state. Spend less time in dense areas or near factories.
- Write to your local representatives and state representatives expressing your concern because this is a public health issue and requires public health interventions to protect all of us.
- Make sure your indoor air is as clean as possible too.
