Three studies led by Antonella Zanobetti aimed at understanding the effects of pollution and heat on neurological and cardiovascular diseases were halted due to federal funding cuts. Preliminary findings indicate that air pollution may negatively influence brain health, linking it to an increased risk of dementia. The growing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases places public health at risk and underscores the need for continued research. One study sought to analyze Medicare and Medicaid data to determine correlations between long-term air pollution exposure and hospitalization rates for dementia.
Antonella Zanobetti was conducting groundbreaking research to examine links between exposure to environmental factors, such as pollution and heat, and deadly neurological and cardiovascular diseases. Preliminary evidence suggests air pollution harms the brain, said Zanobetti, an environmental epidemiologist and principal research scientist at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She had hoped that her studies would raise awareness of potential links between exposure and increased risk of dementia, as well as explore the protective effects of modifiable risk factors such as green space.
It's crucial to finish all the work that we are doing, said Zanobetti, who led a team of researchers in 2020 to conduct the first national study on air pollution's effect on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. We need to understand the factors that can impact hospitalization for neurological disorders. The high prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is a matter of public health.
Fueled by aging and industrialization, neurological disorders are surging around the country and the world. Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and the death rates for Parkinson's are rising fast. The number of people globally with Parkinson's is projected to reach more than 12 million by 2040.
It's important to understand the role of environmental exposures on neurological disorders to help develop public health policies.
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