(ANSA) - ROME, AUGUST 06 - Improving air quality can reduce the progressive loss of reasoning and memory skills linked to age.
This is indicated by a study on elderly women illustrated at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2021, which has just ended in Denver (USA).
Researchers from the University of Southern California looked at a group of women aged 74 to 92 in the United States who had no cognitive problems at the start of the study. Participants were followed from 2008 to 2018 and cognitive function tests were performed each year, as well as home addresses being noted to estimate traffic-related pollution levels. Overall, air quality improved significantly in the 10 years prior to the start of the study, and during the average six-year follow-up, cognitive functions tended to decline with the age of the women, as expected. However, for women living in places with a PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) level that is 10% lower than the Environmental Protection Agency's current standards.s (EPA) the risk of dementia had decreased by 14%. For those living in places with NO2 (nitrogen dioxide, fuel combustion pollutants) that was 10% below standard, the risk of dementia was reduced by 26%. These benefits were observed regardless of age, education level and the presence of cardiovascular disease. "We have known for some time that air pollution is connected with the accumulation of amyloid in the brain," said Claire Sexton, director of science programs at the Alzheimer's Association. "But what we are now seeing is that improving air quality can reduce the risk of cognitive decline. These data demonstrate theimportance of the policies of governments and companies that address the reduction of atmospheric pollutants ". (ANSA).