New Delhi, July 25
Regular exposure to air pollution, including that coming from car exhaust emissions, can increased your risk of dementia, according to an analysis of studies published on Friday.
Dementias such as Alzheimer's disease are estimated to affect more than 57.4 million people worldwide, a number that is expected to almost triple to 152.8 million cases by 2050.
The study, published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, showed that for every 10 micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5, an individual's relative risk of dementia would increase by 17 per cent.
For each 1 micrograms per cubic metre of soot as found in PM2.5, the relative risk for the cognitive condition increased by 13 per cent. Soot comes from sources such as vehicle exhaust emissions and burning wood.
"These findings underscore the need for an interdisciplinary approach to dementia prevention. Preventing dementia is not just the responsibility of health care: this study strengthens the case that urban planning, transport policy, and environmental regulation all have a significant role to play," said joint first author Dr. Christiaan Bredell from the University of Cambridge.
Air pollution causes inflammation in the brain and oxidative stress (a chemical process in the body that can cause damage to cells, proteins, and DNA), leading to the onset and progression of dementia.