Health
Dementia risk rises with exposure to wildfire smoke, per Alzheimer’s Association: 'Real problem'
Exposure to wildfire smoke could increase the risk of dementia, researchers have discovered.
A 10-year study of more than 1.2 million people in southern California — an area experiencing frequent wildfire activity — found that wildfire smoke can be “particularly hazardous” for brain health.
The Alzheimer’s Association announced the findings during the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia on Monday.
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The study found that wildfire smoke increases dementia risk more than other types of air pollution, including emissions from motor vehicles and factories called fine particle matter (PM2.5), according to a press release from the Alzheimer’s Association.
A 10-year study of more than 1.2 million people in southern California — an area experiencing frequent wildfire activity — found that wildfire smoke can be “particularly hazardous” for brain health. (iStock)
The microscopic droplets in wildfire smoke were found to have a “notably stronger” effect on dementia risk with even less exposure, the researchers found.
High levels of PM2.5 also have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, asthma and low birth weight.
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The study analyzed data from Californians age 60 years or older between 2009 and 2019, determining the participants’ exposure according to where they lived.
The researchers observed a 21% increase in the likelihood of dementia diagnosis for every 1 microgram increase of PM2.5 per meter.
Researchers analyzed the health records of 1,227,241 southern Californians, none of whom had been diagnosed with dementia at the start of the study. (iStock)
Dr. Claire Sexton, senior director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer’s Association, told Fox News Digital that exposure to air pollution is known to be bad for brain health, as previous reports have linked PM2.5 to dementia.
“Each year, approximately 44 million people are exposed to unhealthy air quality due to wildfires worldwide.”
Improving air quality could help to protect cognitive function and reduce dementia risk, according to Sexton.
“Each year, approximately 44 million people are exposed to unhealthy air quality due to wildfires worldwide,” she said. “Wildfires are increasing around the globe in frequency, severity and duration.”
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This new study highlighted several reasons that wildfire smoke is more dangerous, Sexton said.
Wildfire smoke is produced at higher temperatures and contains a greater concentration of toxic chemicals compared to other forms of air pollution, she noted.
Trees burn during the Park Fire near Chico, California, on July 26, 2024. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Wildfire smoke also produces a smaller diameter of PM2.5 than other sources, Sexton added.
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“With the rising global incidence of wildfires — including current wildfires in California, Oregon, Alaska and the southwestern U.S. — exposure to wildfire smoke is an increasing threat to brain health.”
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Research shows that on “poor air quality days” in California, air pollution produced by wildfires accounts for more than 70% of total fine particulate exposure, according to Sexton.
A firefighter watches a prescribed burn as the Max Fire burns in Lancaster, California, June 16, 2024. (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
“This is a real problem,” she said.
To lower the risk of exposure, Sexton recommends that people update their home air filtration systems and stay inside during periods of unhealthy air quality.
Researchers also suggest wearing an N95 mask outdoors when the Air Quality Index is over 100.
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More than 59% of women may have high blood pressure by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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