Dr Boya Zhang, of the University of Michigan, who is one of the authors of the study, said: “Air pollution is linked to worse health – more lung disease, more heart disease, shorter life expectancies and more likelihood of dementia. Knowing that air pollution increases our risk of poor health as we age made us wonder if exposures might also impact how people can care for themselves in later life.”
The researchers started by looking at the lives of 25,314 older people in the US from 1996 to 2016. Each person was living independently when they were enrolled in the study and was interviewed every two years. After an average of nine years, 40% of subjects needed help at home because of health or memory problems, or had had to move into a care home.
The change from being independent to needing care was linked with local air pollution levels during the previous 10 years, especially in those over 75 years old. This relationship was strongest for particle pollution from transport and for nitrogen dioxide.
Source: ECEEE
The post Lower air pollution may help preserve older people’s independence – study appeared first on Vastuullisuusuutiset.fi.