US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — Swedish scientists have found that air pollution can affect dementia in older people. At the same time, heart failure and coronary heart disease increase the risks of dementia. The study published the scientific journal JAMA Neurology.
Experts believe that airborne microscopic particulate matter ranging in size from 10 nm to 2.5 microns can threaten the body. The fact is that due to their small size, they can penetrate various biological barriers and threaten the body.
In particular, scientists believe that these particles can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. They, in turn, can disrupt the blood supply to the brain, resulting in dementia in older people.
“Air pollution is an established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. And since these diseases accelerate the decline in mental functions, we believe that air pollution significantly affects the development of dementia,” commented Julia Grande, professor at the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and one of authors of the study.
For 11 years, specialists observed 2.9 thousand elderly people from Stockholm. 364 of them suffered from dementia. Scientists drew attention to the fact that most of all mental abilities decreased in patients from the most polluted areas. These same patients suffered most from cardiovascular diseases.
At the same time, scientists found only a statistical relationship, and the mechanisms due to which air pollution can affect human organisms will need to be found in subsequent studies.
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