Alzheimer’s and Air Pollution

The contemporary world faces many problems. These problems range from religious, to social, to international disputes, to environmental issues. The environment has long been a large issue, since Rachel Carson’s publishing of “Silent Spring.” Currently environmentalism has taken on an international movement to monitor our use of resources, in terms of production and consumption. Scientists are researching the effects of a modernized society and the implications realized for humans.

Scientists conducted a study in which they claim that air pollution causes the bodily infliction of Alzheimer’s Disease. David Danelski of DailyNews.com, writes, “Air Pollution Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease,” by a paper published by USC scientists in Translational Psychiatry. The study found that, “elderly women living in areas of the United States where fine-particle air pollution exceeded federal health standards were nearly twice as likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s  Disease.” A researcher involved in the study, Dr. Jiu-Chiuan Chen worries that the unnecessary levels of pollution are responsible for, “16-20% of people with a higher genetic risk,” to develop Alzheimer’s.

Unfortunately this study has not done much in terms of changing environmental and health concerns of those exposed to air pollution. These people include everyone who lives in those areas, not just the elderly. Maybe in the future, topics for research will include the effect of air pollution on, genetics, the structure of DNA, and perhaps if it is responsible for the development of diseases.

Sources:

https://www.dailynews.com/2017/01/31/air-pollution-linked-to-alzheimers-disease-study-says/