People in Southern California with relatively high exposures to wildfire smoke over a decade also had significantly higher risks for dementia, a new study warns.

MONDAY, Nov. 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- People in Southern California with relatively high exposures to wildfire smoke over a decade also had significantly higher risks for dementia, a new study warns. In fact, the fine-particle pollution created by ...

In parts of the western United States, wildfire smoke is responsible for as much as half of all particulate matter pollution.

Now, in an 11-year study of more than 1.2 million Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California ages 60 and up, a group of doctors from around the country said that rates of dementia rose significantly among residents who had been frequently exposed to wildfire smoke over a three-year-long period.