Air Pollution Linked to Brain Amyloid Pathology

[Sreejon]

Higher levels of air pollution were associated with an increased risk for amyloid-beta pathology in a new study of older adults with cognitive impairment. The investigators used data from the IDEAS study to assess the relationship between the air quality at the place of residence of each patient and the likelihood of a positive amyloid PET result. Public records from the US Environmental Protection Agency were used to estimate air quality in individual ZIP-code areas during two periods ― 2002 to 2003 (approximately 14 years before the amyloid PET scan) and 2015 to 2016 (approximately 1 year before the amyloid PET scan).

[Anushtup]

@sreejon These findings suggest that brain amyloid-beta accumulation could be one of the biological pathways in the increased incidence of dementia and cognitive decline associated with exposure to air pollution