Nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 particles that we breathe can trigger dementia.
Air pollution may be associated with an increased risk of dementia. This conclusion was reached by a group of scientists from the University of London, Imperial College and King's College London, reports The Independent.
Dementia can be associated with exposure to nitrogen dioxide and ultrafine particles known as PM2.5. Scientists have been talking about the dangers of these particles for a long time, but in previous studies it was about their effect on the health of the respiratory system due to the ability to settle in the lungs. PM2.5 can be emitted into the air already prepared (bits of soot, asphalt and car tires, sulfates, nitrates, heavy metal compounds) or formed directly in the atmosphere.
In the course of the study, scientists observed 131,000 patients aged 50 to 79 for nine years. It found that people living in the most polluted areas have a 40 percent higher risk of dementia compared to those who breathe relatively clean air.
At the same time, scientists say that the factors that influence the development of dementia can be formed in the body at an early age. Therefore, we cannot talk about a direct connection between polluted air and dementia, further research is needed.
- The link between air pollution and dementia is a growing area of research. Further research is needed to examine the effects of pollution over a longer period of time, and to identify possible biological mechanisms underlying this relationship, said David Reynolds, chief scientist at the Alzheimer's Research Institute in the UK.
However, scientists have no doubt that ecology is one of the key factors affecting human health.
