|
Abstract:
|
Dementia is common in older adults. As there is no disease-modifying treatment for most forms of dementia, focus on reducing risk factors for dementia is warranted. Air pollution is an understudied but mechanistically plausible potential risk factor for dementia. While there is emerging support for an effect of PM2.5 on cognitive decline in older age, there is insufficient evidence linking PM2.5 to other dementia-related outcomes, including biomarkers of dementia pathogenesis or incident dementia to allow strong conclusions. While there are several studies suggesting that other air pollutants (e.g. NO2, ozone) may also impact adult cognitive health, strong conclusions remain elusive. Methodological considerations, including concerns about capturing the relevant etiologic window, selection bias, and measurement error may contribute to the heterogeneity in the literature. In order to advance our understanding and meaningfully inform policy, future studies should expand the scope of pollutants and outcomes considered, and should address the methodologic limitations of the current literature.
|
