The author is Adam Vaughan.
There is air pollution in London.
DanIEL LEAL is a photographer.
Science advisers to the UK government have said for the first time that air pollution is linked to dementia and a decline in mental abilities in older people.
A growing number of studies linking dirty air to cognitive decline have been supported by the opinion from the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants.
The group said in a report published today that after reviewing nearly 70 studies it had concluded an association between exposure to air pollutants and an accelerated decline in cognitive function. Air pollution has mostly been linked to health impacts on the lungs, heart and other organs.
The amount of research suggesting a link to mental decline had "snowballed" in recent years according to Frank Kelly. One of the greatest challenges for health and social care in the 21st century is dementia.
The committee couldn't say how many older people had seen a mental decline linked to air pollution because there weren't enough investigative studies. According to a study of people in London, roughly 60,000 of the 209,600 new cases of dementia in the UK are due to poor air quality.
Three main mechanisms for air pollution are identified in the report. Alzheimer's can be caused by a reduction in blood supply to brain cells due to damage to blood vessels by tiny particulate matter. There are many studies showing the effects pollution has on blood vessels.
The brain's immunological system being activated by exposure to pollution and the very smallest particles directly reaching the brain via the nasal passage are some of the more tentative explanations. The committee has more confidence in the blood vessel one than the other mechanisms.
Brian Castellani, who was not involved in the report, says, "Thanks to an immense amount of work in the last several years, we can say with certainty that this link exists." Exposure to dirty air in early life can have a big impact on brain health later in life.
The findings of COMEAP are not surprising, but add further weight to the understanding that air pollution health impacts are much wider and likely more profoundly affecting public health.
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