Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia may worsen with air pollution, study finds

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Air pollution could worsen symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have found that air pollution can accelerate the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain, which can accelerate cognitive decline.
The study, published in JAMA Neurology, investigated how fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was linked to brain changes seen in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and the severity of symptoms.
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The brains of 602 people were examined after death at the Penn Medicine Brain Bank from 1999 to 2022. This data was analyzed from January to June 2025.
Participants included people with common dementias and movement disorders, as well as older people without dementia.

The study suggests that pollution may contribute to dementia by actively causing changes in the brain. (iStock)
The researchers estimated the amount of air pollution each person was exposed to in the year before their death or before their last dementia assessment, based on their home address.
People exposed to higher pollution were found to have more advanced Alzheimer’s-like brain changes.
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Each increase in PM2.5 was linked to a 19% higher risk of suffering from a more severe form of Alzheimer’s disease.

Those who lived in areas with high PM2.5 concentrations with advanced disease had greater cognitive impairment and a more rapid onset of symptoms such as memory loss, speech difficulties and poor judgment. (iStock)
The study also took into account a smaller group of 287 people who had a dementia assessment before their death.
For this group, higher exposure to PM2.5 was linked to worsening cognitive and functional decline, including memory loss, impaired judgment, and difficulties with self-care and speech.
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According to the researchers, about 63% of the link between air pollution and the severity of dementia could be explained by brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Edward Lee, MD, Ph.D., co-director of Penn’s Institute on Aging, commented on these findings in a press release for the study.
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“This study shows that air pollution not only increases the risk of dementia, but even worsens Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. “As researchers continue to search for new treatments, it is important to uncover all the factors that contribute to disease, including the influence of the environment in which they live.”
Lee added that air pollution in the United States is at “the lowest levels in decades,” but that even just one year living in a high-polluting area can have a “significant impact on the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

According to the researchers, about 63% of the link between air pollution and the severity of dementia could be explained by brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. (iStock)
The study had some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.
The individuals studied were mainly white, highly educated and from “advantaged neighborhoods”. The study also focused on Alzheimer’s disease and was not representative of other forms of dementia.
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The study might also have underestimated the impact of air pollution on the brain’s blood vessels, they noted.
This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.