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Cited by 23Air Quality and Health ImpactsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchIndoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure

Air quality improvement and incident dementia: Effects of observed and hypothetical reductions in air pollutant using parametric g‐computation

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Letellier, Noémie, Gutierrez, Laure‐Anne, Duchesne, Jeanne, Chen, Chen, Ilango, Sindana, Helmer, Catherine, Berr, Claudine, Mortamais, Marion +1 more·2022·Alzheimer's & Dementia
DOI 10.1002/alz.12606
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Abstract

Introduction: No evidence exists about the impact of air pollution reduction on incidence of dementia. The aim of this study was to quantify how air quality improvement leads to dementia‐incidence benefits. Methods: In the French Three‐City cohort (12 years of follow‐up), we used parametric g‐computation to quantify the expected number of prevented dementia cases under different hypothetical interventions with particulate matter measuring <2.5 μm (PM 2.5) reductions. Results: Among 7051 participants, 789 participants developed dementia. The median PM 2.5 reduction between 1990 and 2000 was 12.2 (μg/m 3). Such a reduction reduced the risk of all‐cause dementia (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 0.95). If all study participants were enjoying a hypothetical reduction of more than 13.10 μg/m 3 (median reduction observed in the city of Montpellier), the rate difference was −0.37 (95% CI, −0.57 to −0.17) and the rate ratio was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.50 to 0.84). Discussion: These findings highlight the possible substantial benefits of reducing air pollution in the prevention of dementia.

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  • A reduction in PM2.5 is associated with lower risk of dementia (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76-0.95 for median PM2.5 reduction of 12.2 μg/m3).

    “A French cohort study with 12years' follow -up, reported a reduction in PM2.5 between 1990-2000 was associated with a lower risk of dementia (HR, 0.85; 0.76 -0.95 for median PM2.5 reduction of 12.2 μg/m 3 ).(241)”

    From Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission (2024) · cites this paper as [241]

    The ‘Observed PM2.5 change’ section (page not provided) reports a median reduction of 12.2 µg/m³ between 1990 and 2000 and an association with lower dementia risk. However, the HR of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.76–0.95) is for each 1 µg/m³ decrease, not for the full median reduction of 12.2 µg/m³. (LLM, conf=0.91)

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Authors
Letellier, N., Gutierrez, L., Duchesne, J., Chen, C., Ilango, S., Helmer, C., Berr, C., Mortamais, M., & Benmarhnia, T.
Affiliations
  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography (US)
  • Inserm (FR)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Université de Bordeaux (FR)
Corresponding author
Letellier, Noémie
ORCID
Venue
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2022-02-09
Volume
18
Issue
12
Pages
2509-2517
ISSN
  • 1552-5260 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-5279
DOI
10.1002/alz.12606
OpenAlex
W4210971831
Cited by
23
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3
FWCI
2.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Alzheimer s & Dementia (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Oskar-Bordeaux (Universite de Bordeaux) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Fondation Plan Alzheimer (FCS 2009‐2012)
  • Novartis
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
Keywords
air pollution, dementia incidence
MeSH terms
Air Pollutants, Air Pollution, Dementia, Environmental Exposure, Humans, Particulate Matter, Quality Improvement

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