A recent study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, published in the “New York Times,” has revealed a possible link between air pollution, especially fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, and the exacerbation of dementia diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia.

The study, the largest of its kind and involving more than 600 brains donated post-mortem, found that individuals who lived in highly polluted areas showed signs of more severe Alzheimer’s disease by up to 20% compared to those living in less polluted environments.

Lead researcher Dr. Edward Lee explains that fine particles in the air, emitted from car exhaust, factories, power plants, and wildfires, can penetrate the lungs and directly reach the brain, causing inflammation and damage to nerve cells.

These findings are supported by other studies conducted at Columbia and Johns Hopkins Universities, which showed a 12% increase in dementia rates in the most polluted areas of the United States. Experiments on mice have also shown that chronic exposure to these particles leads to the appearance of symptoms similar to dementia.

Despite the decline in pollution levels in the United States over the past two decades, scientists warn that the current policies of the US administration, which encourage the extraction of fossil fuels and disrupt renewable energy projects, may lead to a rise in pollution levels again, posing an increasing risk to the health of the elderly and the human brain.

Dr. Lee concluded by saying: “Some think that improving air quality is expensive, but caring for a dementia patient is much more expensive.”