Air pollution and Dementia: Nigeria at risk!

Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease — a progressive and irreversible Neuro-degenerative disorder. It is the most common form of Dementia (loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life).

It is estimated that about 44 million people are currently living with dementia and the number is expected to rise to 135 million by 2050 with 71% residing in low and middle-income countries. In sub- Sahara Africa the number of people with dementia was estimated at over 2 million people in 2015 and projected to surpass 7.6 million in 2050. According to a systematic review on dementia epidemiological studies in Nigeria, an estimation of dementia cases increased by over 400% over a 20-year period, between 1995 to 2015.

The causes of dementia are poorly understood and it’s likely that several factors contribute to the risk including age, female sex, body weight, exercise, genetic predisposition, blood pressure, smoking and alcohol consumption. Another likely factor increasing dementia risk is Air pollution. Air pollution is the release of any hazardous airborne substance- gas, liquid, solid, into the atmosphere that may be harmful to humans and other living things. It is an eminent environmental threat associated with respiratory and cardiovascular pathology.