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Air Pollution Tied to Risk for Dementia

Trend seen for fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxide, but not ozone

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Air pollution may be a risk factor for dementia, according to the results of a meta-analysis published online April 5 in The BMJ.

Elissa H. Wilker, Sc.D., from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies examining the role of air pollutants in the risk for dementia.

Based on 14 included studies in the meta-analysis, the researchers found that per 2 μg/m3 particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter (PM₂.₅), the overall hazard ratio (HR) for dementia was 1.04 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.99 to 1.09). Findings were similar for the seven studies that used active case ascertainment (HR, 1.42; 95 percent CI, 1.00 to 2.02), as well as the seven studies that used passive case ascertainment (HR, 1.03; 95 percent CI, 0.98 to 1.07). Per 10 μg/m3 nitrogen dioxide, the overall hazard ratio was 1.02 (95 percent CI, 0.98 to 1.06; nine studies), and per 10 μg/m3 nitrogen oxide, the HR was 1.05 (95 percent CI, 0.98 to 1.13; five studies). No association with dementia was seen for ozone (per 5 μg/m3 HR, 1.00; 95 percent CI, 0.98 to 1.05; four studies).

“The findings support the public health importance of limiting exposure to PM₂.₅ and other air pollutants and provides a best estimate of effect for use in burden of disease and policy deliberations,” the authors write.

The study was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Biogen.

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