Air quality improvement and cognitive decline in community-dwelling older women in the United States: A longitudinal cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Late-life exposure to ambient air pollution is a modifiable risk factor for dementia, but epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent evidence for cognitive decline. Air quality (AQ) improvement has been associated with improved cardiopulmonary health and decreased mortality, but to the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined the association with cognitive function. We examined whether AQ improvement was associated with slower rate of cognitive decline in older women aged 74 to 92 years.

Methods and findings

We studied a cohort of 2,232 women residing in the 48 contiguous US states that were recruited from more than 40 study sites located in 24 states and Washington, DC from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Memory Study (WHIMS)-Epidemiology of Cogni

SUBMITTER: Younan D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8812844 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature