Air Pollution: A Modern Unavoidable Risk Factor of Dementia
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Published
Sep 22, 2025
Abstract
Dementia, a devastating neurodegenerative condition that affects millions worldwide, is influenced not only by genetic predisposition and aging but also by environmental exposures. Among these, air pollution has emerged as a modern, unavoidable risk factor. Fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and other airborne pollutants penetrate deeply into the respiratory system and, through systemic circulation, reach the brain, where they provoke inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular damage. Growing epidemiological evidence links chronic exposure to polluted air with accelerated cognitive decline, higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and increased dementia-related mortality. Unlike other modifiable risk factors such as smoking or diet, air pollution remains nearly impossible for individuals to fully avoid, especially in urban and industrialized regions. This perspective highlights how air pollution contributes to dementia, underscores the urgent need for public health interventions, and calls for policies that treat clean air not as a luxury but as a fundamental requirement for brain health.
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Keywords
Air Pollution, Dementia, Neuroscientific Regulation, Brain Health, Sustainability
Supporting Agencies
No funding source declared.
References
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Lee, J. (2020). Review of epidemiological studies on air pollution and health effects in children. Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics, 64(1), 3–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3345/cep.2019.00843
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Ogoh, S. (2017). Relationship between cognitive function and regulation of cerebral blood flow. The Journal of Physiological Sciences, 67(3), 345–351. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12576-017-0525-0
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Peters, R., Ee, N., Peters, J., Booth, A., Mudway, I., & Anstey, K. J. (2019). Air Pollution and Dementia: A Systematic review. Journal of Alzheimer S Disease, 70(s1), S145–S163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-180631
Sforza, M., Bianchini, E., Alivernini, D., Salvetti, M., Pontieri, F. E., & Sette, G. (2022). The impact of cerebral vasomotor reactivity on cerebrovascular diseases and cognitive impairment. Journal of Neural Transmission, 129(11), 1321–1330. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-022-02546-w
Sherzai, D., & Sherzai, A. (2019). Preventing Alzheimer’s: our most urgent health care priority. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 13(5), 451–461. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827619843465
Spindler, L. M., Feuerhake, A., Ladel, S., Günday, C., Flamm, J., Günday-Türeli, N., Türeli, E., Tovar, G. E. M., Schindowski, K., & Gruber-Traub, C. (2021). Nano-in-Micro-Particles consisting of PLGA nanoparticles embedded in chitosan microparticles via Spray-Drying enhances their uptake in the olfactory mucosa. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.732954
Weuve, J., Puett, R. C., Schwartz, J., Yanosky, J. D., Laden, F., & Grodstein, F. (2012). Exposure to particulate air pollution and cognitive decline in older women. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(3), 219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.683
Castellani, B., Bartington, S., Wistow, J., Heckels, N., Ellison, A., Van Tongeren, M., Arnold, S. R., Barbrook-Johnson, P., Bicket, M., Pope, F. D., Russ, T. C., Clarke, C. L., Pirani, M., Schwannauer, M., Vieno, M., Turnbull, R., Gilbert, N., & Reis, S. (2022). Mitigating the impact of air pollution on dementia and brain health: Setting the policy agenda. Environmental Research, 215, 114362. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114362
Clougherty, J. E., Humphrey, J. L., Kinnee, E. J., Remigio, R., & Sheffield, P. E. (2022). What is “Socioeconomic Position (SEP),” and how might it modify air Pollution-Health Associations? Cohering findings, identifying challenges, and disentangling effects of SEP and race in US city settings. Current Environmental Health Reports, 9(3), 355–365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-022-00359-3
Delgado-Saborit, J. M., Guercio, V., Gowers, A. M., Shaddick, G., Fox, N. C., & Love, S. (2020). A critical review of the epidemiological evidence of effects of air pollution on dementia, cognitive function and cognitive decline in adult population. The Science of the Total Environment, 757, 143734. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143734
Eren, F., & Ozturk, S. (2022). Evaluation of the effect of air pollution on cognitive functions, cognitive decline, and dementia. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 25(Suppl 1), S9–S14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/aian.aian_453_22
Khreis, H., Williams, H., Abdollahpour, S. S., Van Den Bosch, M., Mudu, P., Tainio, M., Poom, A., Sohrabi, S., & Hankey, S. (2024). The nexus of transportation, the built environment, air pollution and health. Cities & Health, 1–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2024.2376389
Kim, H., Kim, W., Kim, Y., & Park, H. (2020). Air pollution and Central Nervous system Disease: A review of the impact of fine particulate matter on neurological disorders. Frontiers in Public Health, 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.575330
Laumbach, R., Meng, Q., & Kipen, H. (2015). What can individuals do to reduce personal health risks from air pollution? PubMed, 7(1), 96–107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2014.12.21
Lee, J. (2020). Review of epidemiological studies on air pollution and health effects in children. Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics, 64(1), 3–11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3345/cep.2019.00843
Lin, F. C., Chen, C. Y., Lin, C. W., Wu, M. T., Chen, H. Y., & Huang, P. (2021). Air Pollution Is Associated with Cognitive Deterioration of Alzheimer’s Disease. Gerontology, 68(1), 53–61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000515162
Liu, X., Huang, J., Song, C., Zhang, T., Liu, Y., & Yu, L. (2023). Neurodevelopmental toxicity induced by PM2.5 Exposure and its possible role in Neurodegenerative and mental disorders. Human & Experimental Toxicology, 42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09603271231191436
Mannucci, P., & Franchini, M. (2017). Health effects of ambient air pollution in developing countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(9), 1048. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14091048
Mohammadzadeh, M., Khoshakhlagh, A. H., & Grafman, J. (2024). Air pollution: a latent key driving force of dementia. BMC Public Health, 24(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19918-4
Ogoh, S. (2017). Relationship between cognitive function and regulation of cerebral blood flow. The Journal of Physiological Sciences, 67(3), 345–351. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12576-017-0525-0
Parums, D. V. (2024). A review of the current status of Disease-Modifying Therapies and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease. Medical Science Monitor, 30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12659/msm.945091
Peters, R., Ee, N., Peters, J., Booth, A., Mudway, I., & Anstey, K. J. (2019). Air Pollution and Dementia: A Systematic review. Journal of Alzheimer S Disease, 70(s1), S145–S163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-180631
Sforza, M., Bianchini, E., Alivernini, D., Salvetti, M., Pontieri, F. E., & Sette, G. (2022). The impact of cerebral vasomotor reactivity on cerebrovascular diseases and cognitive impairment. Journal of Neural Transmission, 129(11), 1321–1330. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-022-02546-w
Sherzai, D., & Sherzai, A. (2019). Preventing Alzheimer’s: our most urgent health care priority. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 13(5), 451–461. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827619843465
Spindler, L. M., Feuerhake, A., Ladel, S., Günday, C., Flamm, J., Günday-Türeli, N., Türeli, E., Tovar, G. E. M., Schindowski, K., & Gruber-Traub, C. (2021). Nano-in-Micro-Particles consisting of PLGA nanoparticles embedded in chitosan microparticles via Spray-Drying enhances their uptake in the olfactory mucosa. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.732954
Weuve, J., Puett, R. C., Schwartz, J., Yanosky, J. D., Laden, F., & Grodstein, F. (2012). Exposure to particulate air pollution and cognitive decline in older women. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(3), 219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.683
How to Cite
Ishii, H. (2025). Air Pollution: A Modern Unavoidable Risk Factor of Dementia. Science Insights, 47(3), 1955–1958. https://doi.org/10.15354/si.25.op338
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