Scientists from Beijing Normal University, Peking University and Yale University (USA) have found a link between air pollution and the spread of various forms of dementia among people, including Alzheimer's disease. This was announced in a press release on MedicalXpress.
The study involved 25 thousand people who lived in 162 counties in China. The subjects were tested, during which their cognitive skills were assessed. Volunteers had to solve 24 arithmetic problems and answer a number of questions of various difficulty levels. During the survey, participants also provided accurate information about their place of residence. This allowed scientists to correlate the geographic location of their home with an air quality index, which was defined as the concentration of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.
It turned out that the higher the air pollution, the more the test score decreases with age. At the same time, the strongest connection was observed in elderly people, men and volunteers with a low level of education.
The exact mechanism behind the effect of airborne particles on cognitive ability is not known exactly, the researchers said. However, it is possible that aerosols target the white matter, which is responsible for communication between different areas of the brain.
According to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 47 million people in the world have dementia, and every year the number of patients with dementia is replenished by 10 million people. The total is expected to triple by 2050.