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New study published by TRU professor finds causal link between pollution and dementia
KAMLOOPS — New research published by a Thompson Rivers University (TRU) professor finds a causal relationship between air pollution and dementia following a multi-year study. The paper looked at the impact of air pollution reductions in Beijing, China before and after the 2008 Olympic Games, finding that a reduction in 2010 could generate more than $2.3 billion in benefits due to a lower dementia prevalence.
While smoke-filled skies have mostly evaded Kamloops this summer, memories of orange haze remain from year past, and a new research paper is highlighting a link between air pollution and dementia.
“We compared Beijing with other provinces (in China) before and after the (2008) Olympic Games, and what we find is that the case of dementia reduced significantly after the air pollution reduction. That means air pollution regulation can be an effective means for reducing the burden of dementia and also our healthcare costs,” said study author Dr. Meng Sun.