Abstract Details

Title Traffic-Related Air Pollution Is Associated With Incident Dementia in Medicare Beneficiaries.

Topic Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) P6 - Poster Session 6 (11:45 AM-12:45 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 3-003

Objective To investigate the role of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) on risk of dementia.

Background While age remains the most important risk factor for dementia, there has been growing evidence implicating modifiable risk factors such as lifestyle and environmental exposures. Many studies have investigated the role of air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM_2.5), on dementia risk. However, the role of the different types of air pollutants on dementia risk remains understudied.

Design/Methods We conducted a nationwide, population-based, geographical study of 20,789,037 Medicare beneficiaries (aged 67+), 756,321 with incident dementia. We estimated exposure to TRAP, specifically on-road nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and PM_2.5 emissions for 2017 from Neighborhood Emission Mapping Operation (NEMO), and average annual daily traffic (AADT) for 1997-2010. We used logistic regression models to test the nationwide and region-specific associations between zip+4 level TRAP and dementia. We adjusted for age, sex, race, prevalent cardiometabolic disease, neighborhood-level income, and educational attainment as potential confounders. We used Geographic Weighted Regression to map nationwide county-level associations between TRAP and dementia to inform subregion analyses.

Results TRAP was associated with a dose-dependent greater risk of dementia nationwide. The strongest association between TRAP and dementia risk was found in the Upper Midwest. Beneficiaries who lived in Upper Midwest neighborhoods with the highest decile of exposure had greater odds of dementia compared to the lowest decile for AADT (OR=22% (95% CI: 17%, 26%)), on-road VOCs (OR=28% (95% CI: 22%, 34%)), PM_2.5 (OR=26% (95% CI: 20%, 31%)), and NO_x, (OR=23% (95% CI: 17%, 28%)). Results from our sensitivity analysis using incident Alzheimer’s disease corroborated our primary analyses using incident dementia.

Conclusions

Exposure to TRAP was associated with a greater risk of developing dementia, and this association was strongest in the Upper Midwest.

Authors/Disclosures
Vishal Harnoor, BS PRESENTER	Mr. Harnoor has nothing to disclose.
Sai Shivani Chirag, MS	Miss Chirag has nothing to disclose.
George K. Karway, PhD (Barrow Neurological Institute)	Dr. Karway has nothing to disclose.
Irene Faust, MPH (Barrow Neurological Institute)	Ms. Faust has nothing to disclose.
Brad A. Racette, MD, FAAN (Barrow Neurological Institute)	Dr. Racette has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for American Regent. Dr. Racette has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a advisory council with NIEHS.
Brittany Krzyzanowski, PhD	Dr. Krzyzanowski has nothing to disclose.

��ɫ��

��ɫ��