Air Pollution Isn't Only Bad For Lungs, Say Studies. It's Also Bad For Mental Health

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 05:24:22 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://www.sciencealert.com/air-pollution-isnt-only-bad-for-lungs-say-studies-its-also-bad-for-mental-health>

"Long-term exposure to air pollution raises the risk of depression, according
to a pair of new studies published in the JAMA network of scientific journals.

A study published on Friday in JAMA Network Open found that long-term
exposure to elevated levels of air pollution increases the risk of late-onset
depression among the elderly.

The other study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that long-term exposure
to even low levels of air pollutants was associated with increased incidence of
depression and anxiety.

Air pollution has long been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

The new studies add to a growing body of evidence that air pollution also
affects mental health.

For the study of the effects of air pollution on elderly Americans, researchers
from Harvard and Emory University examined the data of nearly nine million
people on Medicare, the US government health insurance scheme for those aged
over 64.

More than 1.52 million of them were diagnosed with depression during the study
period of 2005 to 2016, according to Medicare claims."

Via Rixty Dixet.

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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