Health Update: Health Update: Air pollution may directly increase Alzheimer’s risk, study finds – What Experts Say– What Experts Say.
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Exposure to air pollution may directly increase your risk for Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.
In the study, published Feb. 17 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine, researchers found a five-year average exposure to fine particulate air pollution was associated with an increased risk of the brain disorder.
The study used data from more than 27.8 million U.S. Medicare recipients aged 65 years and older from 2000 to 2018. The study looked specially at fine particulate matter called PM 2.5, which the Environmental Protection Agency defines as fine inhalable particles with diameters generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller that can cause serious health problems and even enter the bloodstream.
Previous studies have found a connection between air pollution and Alzheimer’s, but typically via other chronic health conditions such as hypertension, stroke and depression. Until these findings, it was unclear whether air pollution causes these chronic conditions, which then lead to dementia, or if air pollution directly impacted brain health.
“We found that long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution was associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, largely through direct effects on the brain rather than through common chronic conditions,” the authors noted in a news release.
The authors also found that the association between air pollution and Alzheimer’s risk was slightly stronger in individuals who had experienced a stroke.
“Our findings suggest that individuals with a history of stroke may be particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution on brain health, highlighting an important intersection between environmental and vascular risk factors,” the authors added.
A 2025 report found up to 7.2 million Americans ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, an increase of about 300,000 cases from the previous year.
The authors hope these findings will highlight the need for air quality interventions as part of dementia prevention strategies in aging populations.