- According to new research, air pollution may be linked to a heightened risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
- The London-based observational research used estimates of air and noise pollution levels across Greater London to assess potential links with new dementia diagnoses.
- The study found the link couldn't be explained by any known factors.
Air pollution may be linked to a heightened risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease, according to a London-based observational study published in online journal BMJ Open.
The link couldn't be explained by factors that are known to influence the risks of developing the condition, according to the researchers.
Air pollution is now an established risk factor for heart disease, strokes, and respiratory disease, but its potential role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, isn't clear.
The researchers used estimates of air and noise pollution levels across Greater London to assess potential links with new dementia diagnoses.
This is an observational study and can't establish cause and the findings may also be only applicable to London.
"Traffic related air pollution has been linked to poorer cognitive development in young children, and continued significant exposure may produce neuroinflammation and altered brain innate immune responses in early adulthood," the researchers said.
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