Pollution also produces dementia

The University of Southern California found that older women are 92% more likely to suffer from this disease due to pollution

Pollution is guilty of a myriad of health problems. For example, it causes women to have irregular menstrual cycles and it generates that babies have higher possibilities of developing respiratory illnesses and mental disorders.

Leer en español: No pierdas la cabeza por culpa de la polución

However, the problems it generates do not end there. The University of Southern California found that older women who are exposed to high levels of pollution pollution have a 92% increased risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's. This is the first research of its kind developed in the United States, so more studies should be carried out to confirm the results.

The study reveals that if the results are proven, it would mean that 21% of the total cases of dementia would correspond to exposure to pollution . Professor Caleb Finch, one of the authors of the study, explains that "the microscopic particles generated by fossil fuels enter our body directly through the nose IGNORE INTO the brain. The cells in the brain treat these particles as invaders and react with inflammatory responses, which over time, seem to exacerbate and promote Alzheimer's disease".

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The results also show that pollution affects elderly women to a greater extent. This is because women have the APOE4 gene, a genetic variation that increases the risk of Alzheimer's.

It is important to note that the women studied were between 65 and 79 years old and lived in 48 different states and none of them had any evidence of dementia.

For the time being, it is recommended to attend periodic controls and not be exposed in places with contamination levels that wait for the established limits. Annually, according to the WHO, 7.7 million new cases of dementia are detected.

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Eurekalert! explains that " dementia and the disease that erases memory is one of the greatest health challenges of the century, affects 1 in 3 elderly people and costs $ 236 billion a year in health care services. Researchers at USC in a wide range of disciplines are examining the health, social and political effects and implications of the disease to improve health throughout life".

LatinAmerican Post | Marcela Peñaloza

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