Is your commute bad for your brain? Association found between traffic-related air pollution, Alzheimer's disease - KABC-TV
Is your commute bad for your brain? Association found between traffic-related air pollution, Alzheimer's disease - ABC7 Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's no secret traffic in L.A. is miserable, but could it also be harmful for your brain?
The American Academy of Neurology reports in a recent study that an association was found between smog and dementia.
Scientists say people exposed more often to traffic-related air pollution are more likely to have high levels of a particular plaque in their brains that has long been associated with Alzheimer's disease.
They stress this is only an association and not proof of their findings.
"These results add to the evidence that fine particulate matter from traffic-related air pollution affects the amount of amyloid plaque in the brain," said study author Anke Huels. "More research is needed to investigate the mechanisms behind this link."
Related Knowledge Center: Air emissions
More than 30 years after the last major update of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has upended the ability of Congress to give the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies broad scope to combat air pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, further Biden administration efforts to limit emissions face opposition in the courts.