Half of US residents are at increased risk of developing dementia: what is the reason

If you live in a highly polluted area, your risk of developing dementia could increase significantly, according to a new study. Money Talks News.

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Scientists at the University of California at San Francisco found that among older Americans with cognitive impairments, those living in the most polluted areas were 10% more likely to have amyloid plaques on PET scans than their peers living in the least polluted areas.

The study, recently published in JAMA Neurology, complements earlier research that found a link between environmental pollution and an increased risk of dementia. Sources of such pollution include cars, factories, power plants and forest fires.

Researchers examined the results of positron emission tomography (PET) scans of more than 18 elderly people across the country. The median age of the elderly was 000 years, and all had dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

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Given that about 5,8 million people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's, high exposure to microscopic airborne particles could be a factor in tens of thousands of cases, the researchers said.

One of the study's authors, Leonardo Iaccarino, says daily exposure to PM2,5—atmospheric particulate matter less than 2,5 micrometers in diameter—can trigger a chronic inflammatory response, even at levels considered normal.

“Over time, this can affect brain health in a variety of ways, including promoting the accumulation of amyloid plaques,” the expert notes.

Amyloid plaques form when pieces of a protein called amyloid beta stick together. They are thought to cause cell death and tissue loss in the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease.

In April, the American Lung Association released its latest annual ranking of urban areas most prone to short-term particulate matter pollution, measured by daily PM2,5 levels. All of them are located in the Western United States, and the list is based on data from 2016, 2017 and 2018:

• Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
• Bakersfield, CA
• San Jose - San Francisco - Oakland, California
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Yakima, Washington
• Los Angeles - Long Beach, California
• Missoula, Montana
• Redding - Red Bluff, California
• Salt Lake City - Provo - Orem, Utah
• Phoenix Mesa, Arizona

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Overall, nearly half of the U.S. population—150 million people—breathe unhealthy air, according to a report from the American Lung Association.

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