Studies linking air pollution and cognitive decline are multiplying and all going in the same direction: people living in areas where air is polluted have a significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The most recent of these studies (1) conducted in London on a cohort of 130,000 people over a period of 8 years shows that people exposed to large doses of nitrogen dioxide are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s increased by 40%. The same link also seems to be established with fine particles.
Going in the same direction, studies conducted on transgenic mice exposed to urban nanoparticles for only 15 weeks already showed an increase in cerebral β-amyloid.
Numerous studies in progress (the most important of which cover several million cases) should make it possible to specify the involvement of each pollutant compound in the aggravation of cognitive decline.
The mechanisms by which air pollutants lead to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease are increasingly understood. For example, it is known that pollutant compounds are highly lipophilic and diffuse easily through cell membranes.
The glycation is accelerated after exposure to the constituents of the polluted air
The antioxidant defense is weakened and the glycation is accelerated after exposure to the constituents of the polluted air (2).
These observations help refine a strategy against cognitive decline:
– Flee air pollution.
– Adopt a healthy lifestyle against glycation: strict food control (avoid sugary foods, browned products), regular physical exercise, moderate and controlled, medical follow-up.
– Follow cures of AGE BREAKER Cognition, a deglycating nutritional supplement for healthy adults who wish to restore or improve their cognitive functions and their cerebral health.
(1) I. M. Carey and Al, Are noise and air pollution related to the incidence of dementia? A cohort study in London, England. BMJ September 2018.
(2) M. Kitazawa and Al. The emerging risk of exposure to air pollution on cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Evidence from epidemiological and animal studies. Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA. Biomedical journal 41 2018.
