Air pollution is ‘likely’ to raise dementia risk, find UK government experts
Air pollution tends to increase the risk of developing dementia, said the government research group.
The committee on the medical effects of air pollutants has published its findings after reviewing almost 70 studies that analyze how emission exposure affects the brain from time to time.
Report 291 pages concluded that air pollution tends to increase the risk of accelerated “cognitive decline” and “develop dementia” in parents.
Experts believe this is caused by the impact of pollutants entering the circulatory system, which affects blood flow to the brain.
The authors say: “Evidence of epidemiological that is reviewed consistently reports the relationship between chronic exposure to air pollution and reduced global cognition and decreased visuospatial ability and decreased cognitive and increased risk of dementia.
The result is heterogeneous regarding other cognitive domains such as executive functions, attention, memory, language and mild cognitive disorders. Neuroimaging studies identified consistently report the relationship between exposure to air pollution and white material atrophy. “
Added that the study was divided where the pollutants were most related to this effect.
The Committee said it had made recommendations for further research to help develop evidence.
Around 850,000 people in England suffer from dementia, according to NHS.
There is also more established evidence to show that exposure to air pollution increases the risk of heart disease.
Breathing in emissions can damage blood vessels by making it narrower and harder – increase the likelihood of lumps, abnormal heart rhythms and heart attacks, according to the British Heart Foundation.
Under the Environmental Law which was passed last year, the ministers must set new targets to curb air pollutants on October 31. But the goal they propose to cut the average level of annual levels of dangerous pollutant particles PM2.5, to 10 micrograms per cubic meter throughout Britain in 2040, is double the new guidelines for the world health organization and has attracted criticism from the interpreters environmental campaign.
