Wildfire smoke increases dementia risk more than other air pollution, study says

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Wildfire smoke may be worse for brain health than other forms of air pollution, according to new research linking it to an increased risk of dementia.

The findings, reported Monday at the Alzheimer's Association International conference in Philadelphia, come as millions spent the weekend under air quality warnings from smoky wildfires in the western US.

The problem is fine particulate matter or PM2.5 – particles about 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair that can be drawn deep into the lungs and move into the bloodstream. This pollution – from traffic, industry and fires – can cause or exacerbate heart and lung diseases, and new research adds to the evidence that it may play a role in dementia, too.

Researchers tracked health records from 1.2 million older adults in Southern California between 2009 and 2019. They used air quality monitoring and other data to estimate residential exposure to PM2.5 over three years from wildfire smoke or other causes.

The study found that the odds of a new diagnosis of dementia increased by about 21% for every 1 microgram increase in wildfire particle concentrations. That compares with a 3% increased risk for every 3 micrograms of non-wildfire particulate matter, concluded researchers from the universities of Washington and Pennsylvania.

It is not clear why there would be a difference. But as wildfires increase, this requires more research, said Alzheimer's Association chief scientific officer Maria Carrillo. That's especially considering that the risk of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, is higher in low-income people who may have a harder time avoiding unhealthy air, he said.

Health warnings encourage staying indoors when the air quality is low but “there are many people who don't have the option of staying at home or working outside,” he noted.

The Associated Press Department of Health and Science is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.

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