London, July 27: Air pollution is likely to increase the risk of developing dementia, a UK government research group has said, local media reported.
The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants has published its findings after reviewing almost 70 studies that analysed how exposure to emissions affect the brain over time, The Guardian reported.
The 291-page report concludes that air pollution is likely to increase the risk of accelerated “cognitive decline” and of “developing dementia” in older people, The Guardian reported.
Experts believe this is due to the impact of pollutants entering the circulatory system, affecting blood flow to the brain.
The authors said: “The epidemiological evidence reviewed fairly consistently reports associations between chronic exposure to air pollution and reduced global cognition and impairment in visuospatial abilities as well as cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia.