Lifelong lead exposure may harm brain health in later years
AOL.com • • health
Key Points:
- A University of Michigan study found that higher cumulative lead exposure stored in bones is strongly linked to nearly three times the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and over double the risk of all-cause dementia, while current blood lead levels showed no significant association.
- Lead exposure before birth may also impair cognitive performance decades later, especially in females, according to research analyzing lead levels in baby teeth and subsequent cognitive testing.
- Lead accumulates in bones over time, reflecting long-term exposure, which is more predictive of dementia risk than recent exposure measured by blood lead levels; lead’s neurotoxic effects include oxidative stress and vascular damage contributing to neurodegeneration.
- The study estimates that up to 18% of new dementia cases in the U.S.
