SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2024

Background:

Dementia primarily affects the elderly. Studies have found the importance of genetic predisposition and environmental factors in determining dementia risk. However, it is unclear whether environmental factors contribute to the association between genetic predisposition and disease risk. This study explored how green spaces and air pollution relate to dementia risk among adults aged ≥60 years with different APOE genotypes.

Methods:

Using data from the UK Biobank, Cox proportional hazard regression models were built to examine the hazard ratio of environmental risk factors with quintiles and dementia stratified by APOE genotype. Age and sex were adjusted in Model 2, while Model 3 additionally adjusted for Townsend deprivation index and education.

Results:

Advanced age, lower education levels, and a higher Townsend deprivation index were found in the dementia group. Nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 were positively associated with dementia risk, while greenspace percentage had a protective effect, which was modulated by socioeconomic status. A polyscore was developed to quantify the association of environmental factors with dementia risk.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated the contribution of nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5, and greenspace percentage to the association between genetic predisposition and dementia risk. The polyscore offers a new tool for assessing dementia risk in older adults.