Air pollution increases the risk of Alzheimer’s and may directly contribute to the onset of the disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at Emory University in the United States. Psychiatrist Cătălina Tudose, president of the Romanian Alzheimer Society, points out that the same has been indicated by other studies carried out in recent years, and governments and decision-makers should take measures. But just as there are factors favoring the occurrence of the disease, there are also ways that can help prevent it.
What the study from Emory University shows
The study, recently published in the journal PLOS Medicine, analyzed data from the Medicare program in the United States, between 2000 and 2018, in the case of more than 27.8 million people over the age of 65. Of these, three million developed Alzheimer’s disease. The research looked at the link between exposure to air pollution with fine particles (PM2.5) and the onset of this type of dementia. The main conclusion was that long-term exposure to higher levels of fine particles was associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s, and that the effects on the brain appeared to be direct, and not the result of other conditions, such as high blood pressure or depression. At the same time, the study shows, those who have suffered a stroke are even more vulnerable to the effects of pollution on brain health.
What are PM2.5 fine particles
This type of microscopic airborne particles can be solid or liquid and are not visible to the naked eye. Because they are so small, they can be inhaled deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream and even reach the brain. The main sources are road traffic, coal-fired power plants, burning of wood and waste, and wildfires. In addition to Alzheimer’s disease, long-term exposure to these particles is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular or lung diseases (COPD, asthma).
What other environmental factors can contribute to the disease?
The study by Emory University researchers is far from the only one showing the connection between pollution and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Prof. Dr. Cătălina Tudose, psychiatrist and president of the Romanian Alzheimer Society, explained to Adevărul what other factors have been identified in recent studies:
“Initially, several factors related to lifestyle were identified, i.e. to what the person in question was doing and possibly to metabolic and cardiovascular pathologies (which represent a risk factor), but gradually it was demonstrated that there are also environmental factors – which are not under the control of the individual, so it becomes a task of society to correct them. And here, in addition to air pollution, there is also the high level of pesticides, electromagnetic fields above a certain level, and there are also discussions about the level of aluminum and fluoride in the water, even if they do not reach toxic thresholds.”
“The goal, in the near future, is to detect people at a very early stage”
According to the data Alzheimer Europethe number of Romanians suffering from Alzheimer’s is approximately 300,000, but only patients over 65 were taken into account. Psychiatrist Cătălina Tudose states, however, that the disease can also have early onsets, around 50-55 years of age.
The scientific community is now focusing on prevention. And the news is encouraging.
“Since 2014, studies have begun in the Nordic countries that have proven that simultaneous, multimodal interventions on several factors – namely diet, physical exercises, cognitive stimulation, social integration, control of tension and diabetes – can lead to the prevention of almost 40% of cases that would have progressed to dementia, including people at risk or even people with an onset of Alzheimer’s dementia and who were cognitively stable, and even progressed favorably. Which is an important perspective!”, says Prof. Dr. Cătălina Tudose.
At the moment there is no treatment to cure the disease. The solution could be for it to be detected in the preclinical stages.
“In regular practice, for now, we try to catch dementia from Alzheimer’s disease in the earliest possible stages, in order to be able to intervene therapeutically. But the attention in the world of researchers is focused on the preclinical stage. In order to be detected, some complicated and expensive investigations are needed, currently inaccessible to the general public. But this future will be. (…) The objective is to detect people at a very early stage, when a therapy could be applied that modifies the evolution of the disease and that acts on the mechanisms of the disease”, explained the doctor
Currently, this therapy is not available, but it will happen in the near future, believes Prof. Dr. Cătălina Tudose:
“These drugs are approved, but their administration requires specialized services, requires regulations that are now being developed (implementation guidelines, costs, etc.). They require a very special, in-hospital surveillance, post-diagnostic services and address a small number of people who meet the criteria for these treatments. But there are other perspectives. It is very possible that young people living now, their generations will benefit from other types of treatments than the ones we are discussing now“.
