Older adults who live with higher levels of air pollution are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research led by Yanling Deng of Emory University, U.S.A. The study was published February 17th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.
Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and affects roughly 57 million people worldwide. Scientists have long recognized air pollution as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, as well as for chronic conditions such as hypertension, stroke, and depression. Because these conditions are also tied to dementia, researchers have questioned whether polluted air raises Alzheimer’s risk indirectly by contributing to those illnesses, or whether it harms the brain more directly. Another possibility was that existing health problems could make the brain more sensitive to…