Smoke from wildfires may be worse for your brain than other air pollution, research says

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 of people spent the weekend under air quality warnings from wildfires spewing smoke across the western US.

These are fine particles or PM2.5 – tiny particles that are about 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair and can be inhaled deeply into the lungs and moved into the bloodstream. This pollution – from traffic, factories and fires – can cause or worsen heart and lung diseases, the new study shows adds evidence it may also play a role in dementia.

Researchers tracked the health data of 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 due to wildfire smoke or other causes.

The study found that the chance of a new diagnosis of dementia increased by about 21% for every 1 microgram increase in the concentration of wildfire particles. That compared with a 3% increased risk for every 3 microgram jump in non-wildfire particles, researchers from the universities of Washington and Pennsylvania concluded.

It is not clear why there would be a difference. But with wildfires on the rise, more research is needed, said Maria Carrillo, chief scientist for the Alzheimer’s Association. That’s especially considering that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is higher for lower-income populations, who may have a harder time avoiding unhealthy air, she said.

Health warnings urge people to stay indoors when air quality is poor, but “there are many people who don’t have the option to stay home or work outside,” she noted.

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