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Exposure to air pollution may harm brain health of older adults: Study

Dr. Kamal Kant KohliWritten by Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2025-04-15T21:00:57+05:30  |  Updated On 15 April 2025 9:01 PM IST
Exposure to air pollution may harm brain health of older adults: Study
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Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution may harm the brain health of older adults in England, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

The research, published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is linked to lower scores in key cognitive abilities, particularly language skills.

NO₂ mainly enters the atmosphere through fuel combustion, originating from emissions of vehicles like cars, trucks, and buses, as well as power plants and off-road machinery. PM2.5 pollution in outdoor air often originates from the combustion of gasoline, oil, diesel fuel, or wood, and consists of tiny particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.

The researchers analysed data from 1,127 adults aged 65 and over who took part in the ELSA Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol (ELSA-HCAP) in 2018.

The team examined exposure to air pollution over an eight to 10 year period (2008-2017) and assessed participants’ memory, executive function (i.e. making plans, solving problems and adapting to new situations), language, and overall cognitive function.

Participants completed a range of well-established neurocognitive memory assessments such as the “East Boston Memory Test” and the “Wechsler Memory Scale”, alongside immediate and delayed recall, backwards counting tasks, and shape drawing.

The findings showed that individuals residing in areas with the highest levels of NO₂ and PM2.5 performed worse on cognitive tests compared to those living in areas with average pollution levels. The most compelling evidence of association was observed in language skills, with individuals in the most polluted areas scoring in the bottom third of the cognitive tests performed.

The study also found that different sources of air pollution have varying effects on cognitive health. For example, pollution from industries, home heating, and combustion of fuels (like coal and oil) were strongly linked to poorer language performance (i.e. the ability to access and produce words quickly).

The authors did not examine the reasons behind their findings but suggest that this may be because increased air pollution exposure is most strongly associated with impairment in the temporal lobe (the part of the brain which is essential for language and semantic fluency). Further research is needed to understand these links.

Lead author Dr Giorgio Di Gessa (UCL Epidemiology & Health) said: "Our study shows that air pollution is not just harmful to the lungs and heart but also to brain health, especially when people are exposed to high levels for long periods.

“The most consistent links we found were with language ability, which may indicate that certain pollutants have a specific effect on particular cognitive processes."

Consequently, the researchers urge policymakers to strengthen air quality regulations, particularly in areas where pollution levels remain high, to help protect brain health as the population ages.

Deputy director of the ELSA study, Professor Paola Zaninotto (UCL Epidemiology & Health), said: “By tracking pollution levels over a decade using high-quality data, our research provides robust evidence that sustained exposure to pollutants is damaging people’s brains."

Reference:

Giorgio DI GESSA, Mikaela Bloomberg, Rina So, Shaun Scholes, Thomas Byrne, Jinkook Lee, Sara D Adar, Paola Zaninotto, Cognitive Performance and Long-term Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution: Findings from the Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol Sub-Study of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA-HCAP), The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2025;, glaf060, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaf060

The Journals of Gerontology Series Aair pollutionbrain healthnitrogen dioxide
Source : The Journals of Gerontology Series A
Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

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