Alzheimer’s risk could increase with air pollution exposure, new study shows
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People who are more exposed to air pollution may have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from Emory University in Atlanta.
Researchers noted that air pollution has previously been identified as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease as well as other chronic conditions such as hypertension, stroke and depression.
Because these other conditions have been linked to Alzheimer’s, the researchers said it’s not yet clear whether air pollution alone harms brain health or increases the risk of dementia by primarily triggering other health problems.
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The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, surveyed more than 27.8 million U.S. Medicare recipients ages 65 and older from 2000 to 2018.
Individuals were examined for their level of exposure to air pollution and whether they developed Alzheimer’s, with a focus on other chronic conditions.
A new study has revealed that air pollution may be directly related to Alzheimer’s diagnosis. (iStock)
Greater exposure to air pollution was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, which was slightly stronger in people who had a stroke. Hypertension and depression had “little additive effect,” according to the study’s press release.
The authors concluded that air pollution causes Alzheimer’s mostly through “direct pathways” rather than other chronic conditions.
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“Our findings suggest that individuals with a history of stroke may be particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of air pollution on brain health and highlight an important intersection between environmental and vascular risk factors,” the authors wrote in a statement.
These findings suggest that improving air quality “may be an important way to prevent dementia and protect older adults,” the press release states.
Air quality may be “an important way to prevent dementia and protect older adults,” the researchers suggested. (iStock)
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel confirmed that further studies have revealed that Alzheimer’s is linked to conditions that affect the brain, which can be “delicate and fragile.”
“Certainly underlying medical conditions like stroke can lead to this,” Siegel, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
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The doctor noted that this latest study “does not show cause and effect” but instead “an increasing association between air pollution and Alzheimer’s, with particulate matter increasing inflammation in the brain leading to this.”
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“This is another part of developing a prevention, early detection and targeted treatment strategy,” Siegel added.
According to researchers, people with a history of stroke may be more sensitive to air pollution risks. (iStock)
Ozama Ismail, PhD, scientific program director at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, agreed that this study adds to existing research on the impact of air pollution and overall health, especially regarding the brain.
“Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, and there are likely a variety of factors that influence a person’s lifetime risk.”
“This is an area of research where further research is vital to help us better understand the connection between pollution and the various factors that cause or contribute to Alzheimer’s disease,” Ismail, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“Previous studies, including those presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in 2019, 2021, and 2025, have shown evidence of links between exposure to air pollution and other environmental toxins and the risks of Alzheimer’s or other dementias.”
“Avoiding exposure to air pollution is a risk factor that may change more easily for some people than for others,” one expert said. (iStock)
According to Ismail, the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention added exposure to air pollution to its list of known dementia risk factors in 2020.
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“We know that Alzheimer’s is a complex disease, and it is likely that there will be a combination of factors that influence a person’s lifetime risk,” he said. “Avoiding exposure to air pollution is a risk factor that may be easier to change for some people than for others.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study’s authors for comment.
