AUTHOR=Zhang Shuo , Cao Hongyan , Chen Keying , Gao Tongyu , Zhao Huashuo , Zheng Chu , Wang Ting , Zeng Ping , Wang Ke 

TITLE=Joint Exposure to Multiple Air Pollutants, Genetic Susceptibility, and Incident Dementia: A Prospective Analysis in the UK Biobank Cohort

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=69

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606868

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2024.1606868

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> This study aimed to evaluate the joint effects of multiple air pollutants including PM<sub>2.5</sub>, PM<sub>10</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, and NO<sub>x</sub> with dementia and examined the modifying effects of genetic susceptibility.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> This study included 220,963 UK Biobank participants without dementia at baseline. Weighted air pollution score reflecting the joint exposure to multiple air pollutants were constructed by cross-validation analyses, and inverse-variance weighted meta-analyses were performed to create a pooled effect. The modifying effect of genetic susceptibility on air pollution score was assessed by genetic risk score and <italic>APOE ε4</italic> genotype.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The HR (95% CI) of dementia for per interquartile range increase of air pollution score was 1.13 (1.07∼1.18). Compared with the lowest quartile (Q1) of air pollution score, the HR (95% CI) of Q4 was 1.26 (1.13∼1.40) (<italic>P</italic><sub>trend</sub> = 2.17 × 10<sup>−5</sup>). Participants with high air pollution score and high genetic susceptibility had higher risk of dementia compared to those with low air pollution score and low genetic susceptibility.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our study provides evidence that joint exposure to multiple air pollutants substantially increases the risk of dementia, especially among individuals with high genetic susceptibility.</p>