Air pollution could lead to more dementia cases
A herd of cattle feeding besides a burning pile of garbage at Mukuru Kayaba slums, Nairobi on March 22, 2020.
What you need to know:
- The World Health Organization says that dementia affects about 55 million people globally and 60 per cent of those are from the low and middle income countries like Kenya.
- A report on the Dementia situation in Kenya showed that despite the burden of dementia affecting Kenya, there is no national policy or plan that mentions it.
Exposure to polluted air may make you susceptible to getting a mental health disorder called dementia; a new study has shown.
The study published in the scientific journal British Medical by researchers from the School of Public Health, Harvard University reveals that fine particulate air pollutants are linked to dementia. This particulate matter is abbreviated as PM 2.5 to stand for particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns.
The scientists reveal that the ozone layer has no clear link to dementia. They suspect that nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide found in the air is the likely culprit but for now, they acknowledge that there is limited data to prove that relationship.
“Our results strengthen the evidence that air pollutants are risk factors for dementia, further suggesting that efforts to reduce population exposures to these contaminants might help to reduce the personal, financial, and societal burden of dementia,” said the researchers.
Marc Weisskopf, the lead author of the study said the findings are crucial for policy makers whose intention is to limit people from being exposed to PM 2.5. The scientists underscore the importance of enforcing such measures. “This is a big step in providing actionable data for regulatory agencies and clinicians in terms of making sense of the state of the literature on this hugely important health topic,” said Weisskopf.
Moving forward, the researchers support the public health importance of limiting exposure to PM2.5 and other air pollutants. “To some degree, this reduction can be done on a personal level and clinicians should communicate the risks of air pollutant exposures to their patients. More importantly, steps can be taken at a broader public policy level.”
Already, the World Health Organization says that dementia affects about 55 million people globally and 60 per cent of those are from the low and middle income countries like Kenya.
A report on the Dementia situation in Kenya published by Kenyan scientists in collaboration with colleagues from the London School of Economics under the STRiDE project showed that despite the burden of dementia affecting Kenya, there is no national policy or plan that mentions it.
“People living with dementia in Kenya may find it difficult to follow a specific path to seek a diagnosis of dementia and post-diagnostic path because of lack of research evidence on recognized care pathways and existing support systems, and this may affect their future health plans,” said the report.
