Downtown Los Angeles seen in the hazy distance. Photo: Caroline Brehman/Zuma Press
Smoggy air can hurt your health even after the smoke has cleared. But you can lower your risk.
Some animal research suggests that fine particles can make their way into the brain, says Masashi Kitazawa, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of California, Irvine.
He recently co-wrote a study that found that older mice who were exposed to polluted air were at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who got purified air. Even the younger mice who were exposed to polluted air had some memory loss and cognitive decline, he says.
“As long as you’re being exposed to heavy air pollution, your cognitive function may be somewhat compromised,” says Kitazawa.
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