| Title: | Inflammatory and metabolic pathways underlying the association between PM2.5 exposure and dementia |
| Journal: | Environmental Pollution |
| Published: | 13 Mar 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41833649/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2026.127961 |
Publication 17395
WARNING: the interactive features of this website use CSS3, which your browser does not support. To use the full features of this website, please update your browser.
Abstract
Ambient PM2.5 exposure has been linked to dementia risk, while the underlying pathways remain unclear. This prospective cohort study was conducted in the UK Biobank, including 269,683 participants recruited at baseline between 2006 and 2010 and followed through September 1, 2023. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between annual average PM2.5 concentrations and incident dementia. Logistic regression analyses assessed the relationships between PM2.5 exposure and brain imaging characteristics. Structural equation modeling and causal mediation analysis were applied to investigate the potential mediating roles of lipid metabolites and inflammatory markers in the association between PM2.5 exposure and dementia risk. For each interquartile increase in PM2.5, the risk of all-cause dementia rose by 5% (p = 0.021), while the risk of Alzheimer's disease increased by 9% (p = 0.004). Mediation analyses indicated that lipid metabolites and inflammatory markers jointly accounted for 1.1%-3.5% of the observed associations. Neuroimaging results were consistent with these findings, showing associations with structural changes in the hippocampus and alterations in white matter microstructure. Among participants without the APOE ε4 allele, structural equation modeling further supported the presence of an inflammation-metabolism pathway linking PM2.5 exposure to dementia risk. Our findings suggest that PM2.5 may be involved in the development of dementia through interacting inflammatory and metabolic pathways, offering a more integrated biological interpretation of previously separate mechanistic observations.</p>
7 Authors
- Shuyue Li
- Jianhui Guo
- Yaqi Wang
- Di Shi
- Xinyao Lian
- Junyu Lu
- Jing Li
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 199688 | Systemic evaluation of the associations between environmental factors and the risk of mental health |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health