Breathing polluted air may do more than irritate your lungs — it could also raise your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Older adults who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution appear more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research led by Yanling Deng of Emory University. The study was published today (February 17th) in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia, affecting an estimated 57 million people worldwide. Air pollution has already been identified as a risk factor not only for Alzheimer’s, but also for several chronic conditions, including hypertension, stroke, and depression. These same health problems are also associated with dementia. Until now, however, scientists were unsure whether polluted air increases dementia risk by first contributing to these chronic illnesses, or whether those illnesses simply make the brain more vulnerable to pollution’s effects.
Massive Medicare Study Examines 27.8 Million Older Adults
To investigate, researchers analyzed data from more than 27.8 million U.S. Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older between 2000 and 2018. They compared long term exposure to air pollution with new diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease, while also examining whether conditions such as stroke, hypertension, and depression influenced the relationship.
The results showed a clear pattern. Higher exposure to air pollution was linked to a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The association was somewhat stronger among individuals who had previously experienced a stroke. In contrast, hypertension and depression did not appear to significantly intensify the pollution-related risk.
Evidence Points to Direct Effects on the Brain
Overall, the findings indicate that air pollution may contribute to Alzheimer’s primarily through direct biological effects on the brain rather than indirectly through other chronic health conditions. At the same time, people with a history of stroke may be particularly sensitive to the damaging neurological effects of polluted air.
The results suggest that improving air quality could play an important role in lowering dementia risk and protecting brain health in older adults.
The authors add, “In this large national study of older adults, we found that long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution was associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, largely through direct effects on the brain rather than through common chronic conditions such as hypertension, stroke, or depression.”
“Our findings suggest that individuals with a history of stroke may be particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution on brain health, highlighting an important intersection between environmental and vascular risk factors.”
Reference: “The role of comorbidities in the associations between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease: A national cohort study in the American Medicare population” 17 February 2026, PLOS Medicine.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004912
Funding: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 AG074357 to KS and R01 ES034175 to YL). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
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