Study links Lewy body dementia and air pollution
A study published in Science has linked the development of Lewy body dementia with air pollution.
Scientists found that fine-particulate air pollution, known as PM2.5, triggered the formation of toxic clumps of protein that killed nerve cells in the brain. PM2.5 can be inhaled deep into the lungs and detected in the bloodstream, brain and other organs. This study showed that long-term exposure to PM2.5 raised the risk of Lewy body dementia but had less impact on rates of another neurodegenerative brain diseases that are not associated with toxic proteins.
Dr Xiaobo Mao, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University and the study’s lead investigator, says:
“We have identified a novel strain of Lewy bodies formed after exposure to air pollution. By defining this strain, we hope to establish a specific target for future drugs aimed at slowing the progression of neurodegenerative diseases marked by Lewy bodies.
Unlike age or genetics, this is something we can change. The most direct implication is that clean air policies are brain health policies.”
You can read the study here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu4132