Scientists at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute have determined that long-term exposure to air pollution is directly linked to the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
According to the study published in the journal JAMA Neurology, exposure to polluted air increases the probability of the disease’s onset by 20% to 30%. The researchers emphasize that this link is evident even in Sweden, where air pollution levels are lower compared to many other countries.
The authors of the study determined that environmental pollution not only contributes to the onset of the disease but also accelerates its progression. It was found that individuals living in polluted environments experienced mobility and breathing complications much sooner after diagnosis.
Furthermore, a higher risk of mortality was identified in such patients, and these individuals required serious medical assistance earlier. For an entire decade, scientists monitored the amount of harmful substances and dust particles people inhaled in their living environments.
While this study does not directly prove that the disease is caused solely by the air, specialists have serious grounds to believe that polluted air damages the nervous system from within.
Researchers believe that toxic substances in the air cause a type of “internal inflammation” and so-called oxidative stress in the brain and nervous system. All of this means that harmful particles damage cells, making the nervous system more fragile and unable to cope with neurodegenerative disease.
This study serves as another reminder that clean air is essential not only for the lungs but also for the health of our brain and nervous system.
