Incidence and severity of neurological disorders exacerbated by air pollution and climate change

Exposure to airborne pollutants, temperature extremes, and variability have been associated with the incidence and severity of several neurological disorders and stroke. Climate change may also increase the risk of new animal- and insect-borne neurological infections, such as West Nile virus, in newly susceptible populations.The survey results were published today neurology.

The growing literature on the health-related impacts of climate change and air pollution mental disorder, skin diseaseWhen cardiovascular diseaseThere are conditions such as However, researchers note that the impact of these climatic effects on neurological disease risk and the characteristics of individuals with these conditions are less well understood.

Previous studies have demonstrated exposure to air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM)._2.5), was significantly associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for neurological disorders such as: Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease. Other findings point to long-term exposure to PM._2.5 can increase significantly dementia risk.

Over 220 medical journals as extreme weather events increase due to climate change Published a joint editorial In September 2021, it called for urgent action to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100, halt the destruction of nature and protect health. That said, irreversible environmental changes have already occurred, and as the planet warms, these changes will continue to occur.

“As the warming of our planet becomes more and more apparent, we need to reduce the impact of rising temperatures on neurological health in order to reduce the impact on morbidity, mortality, and strain on health workers and systems. There is an urgent need to understand the implications.Study authors.

“Neurologists and neuroscientists have an obligation not only to critically examine these potential changes, but also to quantify their impact in order to better prepare patients and healthcare systems.”

They conducted a scoping review to better understand three key themes related to climate change and neurological health: extreme weather events and temperature variability, emerging neuroinfectious diseases, and the impact of pollutants. Did.

A total of 364 studies published between 1990 and 2022 within PubMed, OVID MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and gray literature databases were included in the analysis and grouped into three main themes of research. Extreme weather events and temperature variability (38 studies), emerging neurological infections (37 studies), and effects of pollutants (289 studies).

Eligible studies were published between 1990 and 2022, related to human incidence or disease prevalence, were written in English, and related to neurological disorders. Furthermore, the studies only addressed neurological disorders in adults, excluding the literature on neuropediatric conditions and outcomes.

The findings of the review are related to temperature variability and worsening of neurological symptoms, climate warming, tick- and mosquito-borne infections, airborne pollutants, and incidence and severity of cerebrovascular disease. embossed.

• Extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations were associated with increased incidence and severity of stroke, migraine headaches, hospitalization for dementia patients, and exacerbation of multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Exposure to airborne contaminants, especially PM_2.5 and nitrates were associated with exacerbations in stroke incidence and severity, headache, dementia risk, PD, and MS
• Climate change has been shown to extend the favorable conditions for emerging neuroinfectious diseases beyond traditional geographic regions, such as West Nile virus, meningococcal meningitis and tick-borne encephalitis

Because the study was conducted in resource-rich regions of the world, the researchers acknowledged that the results may not be generalizable to resource-poor regions affected by such climates. may be even more pronounced.

“Our review did not identify any articles related to neurological health impacts of food and water insecurity, but these are clearly related to neurological health and climate change.” “Like the social determinants of health, a changing climate and environmental pollutants cannot be overlooked as mediators of the burden of disease,” the researchers said.

They say more research is needed on reducing the risk of neurological infections, how air pollution affects the nervous system, and how to improve neurological care delivery in the face of climate-related disruptions. I concluded.

“Our goal is to spur action through a collective voice among neurologists and health workers to elicit real change that will mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.”

reference

Lewis S, Carlson AK, Thresh A, et al. Impacts of climate change and air pollution on neurological health, disease, and practice: a scoping review. neurologyPublished online November 16, 2022. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000201630