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This huge number represents almost a third (28.5%) of all dementia deaths globally.
This is the first instance the annual SOGA report from the Boston-based Health Effects Institute has quantified the impact of air pollution on brain health. It also found that the number of years lost due to poor air quality is 11.6 million healthy life years.
The increase in cases of dementia can be traced to areas with high levels of pollution, mainly in urban centres; Thus, there is an urgent demand to give priority to air quality as a factor of public health.
How does air pollution affect the brain?
Polluted air is full of extremely small particles, which after reaching the lungs, can enter the bloodstream and eventually the brain. There, the particles result in oxidative stress and inflammation, which can damage brain cells and accelerate neurodegeneration.
This increases the likelihood of conditions that gradually impair one’s memory, reasoning, and independence, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and mild cognitive impairment.
It is not only the elderly who have to suffer the ill effects of air pollution; Exposure can have a negative impact on a child’s brain development and thus increase the likelihood of psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression, as well as neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism.
Women and older populations are vulnerable
Women are statistically at higher risk of developing dementia and are usually the main caregivers, resulting in increased social and economic costs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
In 2021, 60 million people were suffering from dementia globally, and 10 million new cases were reported annually. It is estimated that as the world’s population grows, the number of dementia cases associated with air pollution will increase, especially in heavily polluted areas.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as dementia, diabetes, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were responsible for 86% of air pollution-related deaths in 2023. Nearly one in eight deaths worldwide, or 7.9 million, were caused by air pollution.
call for clean air
These findings have triggered calls for stronger measures from medical professionals to fight air pollution and its adverse effects on cognitive abilities. He placed great emphasis on how essential it is to include air quality improvement in public health programs as a way to prevent the prevalence of dementia.
Health care experts point to the benefits of reducing emissions, such as reduced pressure on health systems, increased life expectancy and even climate change mitigation, to urge quick steps in this direction. “Clean air action is an important way to help ensure good health and a better quality of life for everyone,” stressed Pallavi Pant, head of Global Initiatives at the Health Effects Institute in Boston.