Dementia: Astonishing report links cognitive decline to air pollution - 'strong' case
msn.comUnited Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), assessed the impact of air pollution and cognitive decline. In the government report, it says: "We have concluded that the evidence is now suggestive of an association between ambient air pollutants and an acceleration of the decline in cognitive function often associated with ageing, and with the risk of developing dementia. "There are a number of plausible biological mechanisms by which air pollutants could cause effects on the brain leading to accelerated cognitive decline and dementia.
Some of these have been demonstrated in experimental studies. "We think there is a strong case for the effects of air pollutants on the cardiovascular system having a secondary effect on the brain. "READ MORE: Popular hot drink could be linked to 'leading' cause of blindnessPoor cardiovascular health has long been known to have an impact on neurological health.
The reason for this is because the healthier the cardiovascular system, the more oxygen the heart can pump around the body to crucial organs such as the brain.
Were there any caveats to the government report?In their conclusions the authors stated: "The evidence base is currently inadequate to allow direct quantification using a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies linking air pollution with cognitive decline or dementia. "They added: "Direct quantification of cognitive decline or dementia associated with air pollution would therefore be subject to unknown uncertainty.
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