UK Air Pollution Policies Should Include Dementia Risk

(CTN News) – A growing body of research has shown that air pollution has negative effects on our mental health, as well as on our risk of dementia, according to a growing body of research. According to a new report, we should take the following steps.

“Dementia poses one of the most significant challenges for health and social care in the 21st century,” said Professor Frank Kelly of Imperial College London, a former chair of the UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution.

It was initially surprising to find that air pollution could contribute to the development of dementia by accelerating cognitive decline.

It was logical to assume that air pollution would affect our lungs; however, research has revealed that poor air quality can also affect circulatory diseases. After a short period of time, researchers began asking if other organs such as the brain were also affected.”

A 20-year-old study found that chronically polluted Mexico City can cause brain changes in pet dogs, with these changes beginning as early as four months of age.

According to evidence accumulated over the past five years, air pollution can affect the development of the brain and the performance of children in tests.

In a study conducted on 1,700 Londoners, it was found that exposure to air pollution resulted in mental health problems.

In a report published last year by Kelly’s Department for Health and Social Care committee, 69 studies were reviewed to come to the conclusion that air pollution accelerates cognitive decline in elderly people and increases their risk of developing dementia.

A slow accumulation of damage to brain health may be caused by the air pollution people inhale every day as they go about their daily lives.

There has been a recommendation for an audit of existing policies in order to accelerate the implementation of actions that will reduce our exposure to air pollution throughout our entire lives, such as the development of low-pollution school zones and dementia-friendly communities.

Moreover, the report proposes that in order to reach net zero, health, and specifically brain health, should be taken into account.

According to professor Brian Castellani, director of the new report at the University of Durham, improving urban life is one of the biggest steps forward, which includes eliminating road congestion, improving green spaces, improving indoor air quality, establishing ultra-low emission zones, creating bike and pedestrian lanes, and addressing health and economic inequality.

There is also a need for policies that acknowledge that even legal limits of air pollution can be harmful and potentially worsen the situation of people with dementia, neurodegenerative diseases, and early developmental disabilities related to brain development.”

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