How wildfire smoke raises your risk of dementia
Parts of California, Oregon and Montana are facing unhealthy levels of air pollution as several large fires blaze, including Northern California’s Park Fire, which has quickly ballooned into the fifth largest in the state’s history
Parts of California, Oregon and Montana are facing unhealthy levels of air pollution as several large fires blaze, including Northern California’s Park Fire, which has quickly ballooned into the fifth largest in the state’s history.The smoke poses a hazard for people in the immediate vicinity and even some far away, as wildfire smoke can travel hundreds or thousands of miles.
The tiny particles in that smoke aren’t just bad for your lungs — a spate of studies over the last few years have found that it also negatively affects brain health, raising the risk of dementia, cognitive challenges and mental health issues.
“A lot of the research on wildfire smoke has historically focused on our lungs and our hearts,” said Stephanie Cleland, an assistant professor at Simon Fraser University who studies the health impacts of wildfire smoke. “A shift to focusing on cognitive outcomes and brain health is more recent.”
The latest addition to this body of evidence: Research presented Monday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference suggests that wildfire smoke could raise the chances of a dementia diagnosis.
The study analyzed the health records of more than 1.2 million older adults — ages 60 and up — in Southern California from 2009 to 2019.
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