Air pollution and dementia in older adults in the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Growing evidence implicates air pollution as a risk factor for dementia, but prior work is limited by challenges in diagnostic accuracy and assessing exposures in the decades prior to disease development. We evaluated the impact of long-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) exposures on incident dementia (all-cause, Alzheimer's disease [AD], and vascular dementia [VaD]) in older adults.

METHODS:

A panel of neurologists adjudicated dementia cases based on extensive neuropsychological testing and magnetic resonance imaging. We applied validated fine-scale air pollutant models to reconstructed residential histories to assess exposures.

RESULTS:

An interquartile range increase in 20-year PM2.5 was associated with a 20% higher risk of dementia (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5%, 37%) and an increased risk of mixed VaD/AD but not AD alone.

DISCUSSION:

Our findings suggest that air pollutant exposures over decades contribute to dementia and that effects of current exposures may be experienced years into the future.

• Authors: Erin O Semmens, Cindy S Leary, Annette L Fitzpatrick, Sindana D Ilango, Christina Park, Claire E Adam, Steven T DeKosky, Oscar Lopez, Anjum Hajat, Joel D Kaufman
• Journal: Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association (Alzheimers Dement) Vol. 19 Issue 2 Pg. 549-559 (02 2023) ISSN: 1552-5279 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 35436383 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.

Chemical References

• Air Pollutants
• Particulate Matter

Topics

• Humans
• Aged
• Ginkgo biloba
• Air Pollution (adverse effects)
• Air Pollutants (adverse effects, analysis)
• Alzheimer Disease (epidemiology, chemically induced)
• Particulate Matter (adverse effects, analysis)
• Dementia, Vascular (epidemiology)