US EditionStudy Finds Possible Molecular Connection Between Air Pollution and Lewy Body Dementia Risk
A Johns Hopkins study found that increased PM2.5 levels raise Lewy body dementia risk by 12% and Parkinson's disease dementia by 17%, highlighting pollution's impact on neurodegeneration.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reported a possible molecular link between PM2.5 fine particulate air pollution and Lewy body dementia, analyzing hospital records from more than 56 million U.S. patients admitted 2000–2014.
- Epidemiologic analysis found each increase in PM2.5 fine particulate air pollution was linked to a 17% higher risk of Parkinson's disease dementia and a 12% higher risk of dementia with Lewy bodies, with people in high-exposure ZIP-code-level areas more likely to develop Lewy body-related conditions.
- Controlled mouse experiments revealed PM2.5 exposure every other day induced PM-PFF, an abnormal alpha-synuclein strain, and caused brain atrophy, cell death, and cognitive decline in normal mice.
- By defining the strain, researchers hope it could establish a drug target to slow disease progression and guide public health efforts to reduce harmful exposures, as Xiaodi Zhang, Ph.D., highlights.
- Samples from multiple regions produced similar brain changes in mice exposed to PM2.5 from China, Europe, and the United States, while transcriptomic analyses revealed shared gene-expression responses with Lewy body dementia patients.
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Lewy body diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by anomalous accumulation of a protein in the brain. Now, an association study and experiments in mice found a relationship and a possible molecular connection between air pollution and an increased risk of developing them, EFE reported. Behind the research [...] La entrada Research associates air pollutants with a higher risk of dementia by Lewy bodies was first publish…
Fine Particulate Matter Exposure Linked to Increased Risk of Lewy Body Dementia: A Closer Look at Environmental Impact and Brain Health – Archyde
Archyde Air pollution Linked to Increased Risk of Lewy Body Dementia: New Study Reveals Molecular Connection September 5, 2025 A groundbreaking new study has revealed a potential molecular link between exposure… You can read the full story here: Fine Particulate Matter Exposure Linked to Increased Risk of Lewy Body Dementia: A Closer Look at Environmental Impact and Brain Health.
A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine (United States) says they have revealed a possible molecular connection between air pollution and an increased risk of developing dementia with Lewy bodies.The findings, published in Science, add to a growing set of evidences that indicate how environmental factors can trigger harmful protein changes in the brain leading to neurodegeneration.Lewy's body diseases are a group of neurodegenerative d…
Dementia risk traced to air pollution in new research
Experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine found air pollution may fuel deadly brain changes behind Lewy body dementia. The study, published this morning, builds on years of research showing PM2.5 is associated with a higher risk of dementia. Here, experts focused on Lewy body dementia, an incurable condition. The disease is caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins called alpha-synuclein and results in symptoms such as memory problems, confusion…
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