For quite some time, medical professionals have recommended that older adults monitor their blood pressure, treat depression, and mitigate stroke risk as fundamental defense strategies against Alzheimer’s disease affecting the brain. However, recent research suggests that while these guidelines are valid, they might overlook a crucial environmental risk factor. This study’s findings were detailed in the journal PLOS Medicine.
By examining information from nearly 28 million Medicare recipients spanning almost twenty years, investigators at Emory University determined that prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter in the atmosphere correlated with an increased likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This connection was found to be largely independent of pre-existing high blood pressure, depression, or prior strokes. Essentially, these prevalent conditions offer very little explanation for the observed link.
Collectively, elevated blood pressure, depressive states, and strokes account for under 8% of the association noted between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease. The study’s conclusions indicate that airborne contaminants may influence the probability of developing Alzheimer’s through pathways not accounted for by these common illnesses.
If atmospheric contamination harms the aging brain via processes that are not wholly clarified by cardiovascular conditions or mental health disorders, then solely addressing those ailments will not suffice for complete protection. For the millions of seniors across the US who already manage hypertension or have experienced a stroke, the air outside their windows could pose a threat that medication alone is incapable of neutralizing.
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