Higher air pollution exposure linked to increased dementia risk, study suggests

The study found that just a slight increase in the levels of fine particulate matter over a decade at specific addresses in Seattle in the US was associated with a greater risk of dementia for people living there

Higher levels of air pollution have been linked to a higher risk of dementia (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Exposure to high levels of air pollution over a decade is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a long-running study.

Researchers said their ability to estimate exposures over 40 years in a specific area made their work “unprecedented” and “unique”.