Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Published : April 25, 2015 10:55 AM IST
Truck traffic exposure: Is your house on the main road where too many vehicles queue up all day long? Shut those windows during peak hours.
A new study has found that breathing harmful toxins can damage the structure of the brain and impair cognitive functions in middle aged and old people. The study led by scientists from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine suggests that people living in polluted towns and cities suffer ageing of the brain and increased risks of dementia and strokes.
The study which was conducted on more than 900 participants, found that those living in major roadways suffered cerebral shrinking, ageing their brains equivalent to one year, increasing the risk of dementia.The participants in the study were almost 50 percent more likely to suffer from a type of silent stroke which also elevates the chance of developing the degenerative disease.
According to the study, normal pollution levels from factory, traffic fumes, wood fire smoke and power station emissions were enough to age the brain by a year. The particles from these sources can travel deeply into the lungs and have been associated with an increased number of cardiovascular events. Air pollution can also increase the risk of hypertension in pregnant women.
Researchers analysed how far patients aged over 60 who did not have a stroke or dementia lived from major roads. They then used satellite images to assess prolonged exposure to air pollution. Dr Elissa Wilker, a researcher in the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, said: 'Our findings suggest that air pollution is associated with insidious effects on structural brain ageing, even in dementia and stroke-free individuals.'
The evaluation included total cerebral brain volume, which is a marker of atrophy of the brain, hippocampal volume, that reflect changes in the area of the brain that controls memory. The white matter hyperintensity volume, can be used as a measure of pathology and ageing and covert brain infarcts. The study, published in the journal Stroke, found that only an increase of only two microgram per cubic meter of air pollution in cities, was sufficient to increase the risks.
Dr Wilker said the mechanisms were unclear, but that it might be that the body suffered inflammation as a result of the deposit of fine particles in the lungs. Professor of Neurology Dr Sudha Seshadri at Boston University School of Medicine said, 'On average participants who lived in more polluted areas had the brain volume of someone a year older than participants who lived in less polluted areas.' 'They also had a 46 per cent higher risk of silent strokes. This is concerning since we know that silent strokes increase the risk of overt strokes and of developing dementia, walking problems and depression.'
Last year researchers suggested that commuters could cut their air pollution intake in half simply by using the side streets in major cities rather than main roads. Dr Rossa Brugha, a paediatrician and pollution researcher at Queen Mary, University of London, suggestes walkers to make small adjustments to their route to benefit their health. Regular exercise can also shield you from the harmful effects of air pollution.
Did you know that burning agarbatti or incense sticks at home could also generate indoor air pollutants?
Image source: Getty Images
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