(NewsNation) — Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, a University of Washington-led study found.
Researchers analyzed the health records of 1.2 million southern California residents over the age of 60 between 2008 and 2019, all of whom were dementia-free at the start of the study.
Published in the JAMA Neurology Journal on Nov. 25, the study found nearly 81,000 people received a dementia diagnosis during a follow-up period.
Wildfires produce a type of air pollution called fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which has been linked to dementia before. Some sources of PM2.5 may pose greater risks for dementia than others, and researchers in this study sought to determine the association between wildfire air pollution and health risks.
“There have been studies that have found total PM2.5 is related to people developing dementia, but no one had looked specifically at wildfire PM2.5,” said lead author Joan Casey to UW News. “Wildfire smoke is a different animal, in that it’s much spikier. There are many days where there’s no wildfire smoke, and there are some days where exposure is really, really extreme.”
Nearly seven million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The number is projected to grow to 13 million by 2050.