Alzheimer’s risk could increase with air pollution exposure, new study shows

People more exposed to air pollution may face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from Emory University in Atlanta.

Air pollution has already been established as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other chronic illnesses, such as hypertension, stroke and depression, the researchers noted.

Since these other diseases are themselves linked to Alzheimer’s, the researchers said it’s not yet clear whether air pollution alone harms brain health or whether it increases the risk of dementia by triggering these other health problems first.

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The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, included more than 27.8 million U.S. Medicare beneficiaries, aged 65 and older, from 2000 to 2018.

Individuals were examined to determine their level of exposure to air pollution and to determine whether they had developed Alzheimer’s disease, with a focus on other chronic illnesses.

Air pollution may have a direct link to Alzheimer’s diagnoses, a new study suggests. (iStock)

Greater exposure to air pollution was associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, slightly higher in people who had a stroke. Hypertension and depression had “little additional impact,” according to the study’s press release.

The authors concluded that air pollution leads to Alzheimer’s disease primarily through “direct pathways” rather than through other chronic diseases.

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“Our findings suggest that people 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,” the authors wrote in a statement.

These findings suggest that improving air quality could be “an important way to prevent dementia and protect older adults,” the press release concludes.

Air quality could be “an important way to prevent dementia and protect older people,” the researchers suggest. (iStock)

Fox News Senior Medical Analyst Dr. Marc Siegel confirmed that other studies reveal that Alzheimer’s disease is linked to conditions that affect the brain, which can be “sensitive and fragile.”

“Certainly, underlying medical conditions like stroke can lead to this,” Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

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This latest study “does not show cause and effect,” the doctor noted, but rather shows a “growing association between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease, where the particles appear to increase inflammation in the brain that helps lead to it.”

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“This is another part of developing a strategy for prevention, early diagnosis and targeted treatments,” Siegel added.

People with a history of stroke may be more susceptible to air pollution risks, researchers say. (iStock)

Ozama Ismail, PhD, director of scientific programs at the Alzheimer’s Association of Chicago, agreed that this study adds to existing research on the impact of air pollution and overall health, particularly as it relates to the brain.

“Alzheimer’s disease is a complex disease, and it is likely that there are a variety of factors…that impact a person’s risk over their lifetime.”

“This is an area of ​​investigation where more research is essential to help us better understand the connection between pollution and the different factors that cause or contribute to Alzheimer’s disease,” Ismail, who also did not work on the study, told Fox News Digital.

“Previous studies, including those presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in 2019, 2021 and 2025, have shown links between exposure to air pollution and other environmental toxins and risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.”

“Avoiding exposure to air pollution is a risk factor that may be easier to modify for some people than others,” one expert said. (iStock)

The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention added exposure to air pollution to its list of known risk factors for dementia in 2020, according to Ismail.

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“We know that Alzheimer’s disease is a complex disease and it is likely that a variety of factors, combined, impact a person’s risk over their lifetime,” he said. “Avoiding exposure to air pollution is a risk factor that may be easier to modify for some people than others.”

Fox News Digital has contacted the study authors for comment.