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Air pollution and dementia: evidence from epidemiological studies
Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Global Health. Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health. Planetary Health Research Group, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
2025 (English)In: Air pollution and the brain / [ed] Katja Marika Kanninen; Anthony Robert White, Cham: Springer, 2025, 1, p. 135-156Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This chapter reviews the growing body of epidemiological evidence linking long-term exposure to ambient air pollution with increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). With air pollution now recognized as a potentially modifiable risk factor, the chapter explores mechanistic pathways, such as neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, through which pollutants like PM2.5 and NO₂ may contribute to neurodegeneration. It discusses dementia subtypes, highlighting the need for subtype-specific analyses given their differing pathologies and risk factors. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of life course exposure assessment and the potential roles of co-exposures such as noise and lack of green space, which are often correlated with air pollution but understudied in relation to cognitive decline. A review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses reveals consistent associations between PM2.5 and dementia risk, though evidence remains limited for other pollutants. The chapter calls for future studies to adopt multi-exposure frameworks, improve exposure and outcome assessments, and include underrepresented populations in high-pollution areas, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Establishing a causal link between air pollution and dementia could significantly strengthen the case for environmental interventions as a public health strategy to reduce the burden of dementia worldwide.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Cham: Springer, 2025, 1. p. 135-156
Keywords [en]
Air pollution, Alzheimer’s disease, Cognitive decline, Dementia, Environmental epidemiology, Vascular dementia
National Category
Occupational Health and Environmental Health Neurology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-247000DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-99302-2_7Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105022329489ISBN: 978-3-031-99301-5 (print)ISBN: 978-3-031-99304-6 (print)ISBN: 978-3-031-99302-2 (electronic)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-247000DiVA, id: diva2:2018159
Available from: 2025-12-02 Created: 2025-12-02 Last updated: 2025-12-02Bibliographically approved

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Oudin, Anna

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
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