Associations of particulate matter with dementia and mild cognitive impairment in China: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Jiping Tan; Nan Li; Xiaoxiao Wang; Gongbo Chen; Lailai Yan; Luning Wang; Yiming Zhao; Shanshan Li; Yuming Guo

doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100147

Associations of particulate matter with dementia and mild cognitive impairment in China: A multicenter cross-sectional study

Innovation (Camb). 2021 Jul 21;2(3):100147. doi: 10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100147. eCollection 2021 Aug 28.

Authors

Jiping Tan¹, Nan Li², Xiaoxiao Wang², Gongbo Chen³, Lailai Yan⁴, Luning Wang¹, Yiming Zhao², Shanshan Li⁵, Yuming Guo⁵

Affiliations

¹ Geriatric Neurology Department of The Second Medical Center & National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China.
² Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
³ Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental and Health risk Assessment; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
⁴ Department of Laboratorial Science and Technology, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Abstract

Ambient air pollution has been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, few studies have examined these associations in well-characterized populations with low residential mobility, similar living habits, and a standardized assessment of both air pollution exposure and clinical outcome. This study examined the associations of long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution with dementia and MCI, using data from the Chinese Veteran Clinical Research Platform. The cognitive function of elderly veterans from 277 communities in 18 Chinese cities was examined. Participants' daily exposures to aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) and ≤10 μm (PM₁₀) during the 3 years prior to the survey were estimated using a satellite-based prediction. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals of MCI associated with each 10 μg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were 1.52 (1.39, 1.67) and 1.04 (1.00, 1.08), and those of dementia associated with PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ were 1.27 (1.11, 1.46) and 1.13 (1.05, 1.21), respectively. This demonstrates that long-term exposure to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ can increase the prevalence of dementia/MCI among veterans in China. Higher ORs were observed for those with ≤9 years of educational attainment, those who actively attended physical activities, those who never smoked, former drinkers, and those who did not suffer from cerebral infarction. Improvement of ambient air quality, especially decreasing levels of PM_2.5, may help to decrease the risk of dementia/MCI. Given the statistically significant association between PM and cognitive impairment demonstrated here, future studies should focus on examining the causal effect of PM pollution on dementia and MCI.

Keywords: MCI; air pollution; dementia; particulate matter.