When a wildfire rips through your community, your life and home are likely top of mind, but what about your brain health?

cross-posted from: https://midwest.social/post/15147089

A new study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference links wildfire smoke to a higher risk of new dementia diagnoses. Conducted over ten years in California, the study analyzed health records of more than 1.2 million socioeconomically diverse Kaiser Permanente members aged 60 and older. Holly Elser, M.D., Ph.D., an author of the study, stated, “Previous research has found that exposure to PM2.5 is associated with dementia, but in light of our large, long-term study, it’s apparent the risk from exposure due to wildfire smoke is an even bigger concern.” The study found that wildfire smoke poses a stronger dementia risk than other sources of PM2.5 air pollution.