Short-term air pollution, cognitive performance and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study

Xu Gao; Brent Coull; Xihong Lin; Pantel Vokonas; Avron Spiro; Lifang Hou; Joel Schwartz; Andrea A. Baccarelli

doi:10.1038/s43587-021-00060-4

Short-term air pollution, cognitive performance and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study

Xu Gao^*, Brent Coull, Xihong Lin, Pantel Vokonas, Avron Spiro, Lifang Hou, Joel Schwartz, Andrea A. Baccarelli

^*Corresponding author for this work

Preventive Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), may impair cognitive performance^1–3, but its short-term impact is poorly understood. We investigated the short-term association of PM_2.5 with the cognitive performances of 954 white males measured as global cognitive function and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and further explored whether taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could modify their relationships. Higher short-term exposure to PM_2.5 demonstrated nonlinear negative associations with cognitive function. Compared with the lowest quartile of the 28-d average PM_2.5 concentration, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles were associated with 0.378, 0.376 and 0.499 unit decreases in global cognitive function score, 0.484, 0.315 and 0.414 unit decreases in MMSE score and 69, 45 and 63% greater odds of low MMSE scores (≤25), respectively. Such adverse effects were attenuated in users of NSAIDs compared to nonusers. This study elucidates the short-term impacts of air pollution on cognition and warrants further investigations on the modifying effects of NSAIDs.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	430-437
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Aging
Volume	1
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-021-00060-4
State	Published - May 2021

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grant nos. P30ES009089, R01ES021733, R01ES025225, R01ES015172 and R01ES027747). The Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study is supported by the Cooperative Studies Program/Epidemiology Research and Information Center of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is a component of the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center. A.S. was supported by a Senior Research Career Scientist award from the Clinical Science R&D Service of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geriatrics and Gerontology
Aging
Neuroscience (miscellaneous)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s43587-021-00060-4

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title = "Short-term air pollution, cognitive performance and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study",

abstract = "Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), may impair cognitive performance1–3, but its short-term impact is poorly understood. We investigated the short-term association of PM2.5 with the cognitive performances of 954 white males measured as global cognitive function and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and further explored whether taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could modify their relationships. Higher short-term exposure to PM2.5 demonstrated nonlinear negative associations with cognitive function. Compared with the lowest quartile of the 28-d average PM2.5 concentration, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles were associated with 0.378, 0.376 and 0.499 unit decreases in global cognitive function score, 0.484, 0.315 and 0.414 unit decreases in MMSE score and 69, 45 and 63% greater odds of low MMSE scores (≤25), respectively. Such adverse effects were attenuated in users of NSAIDs compared to nonusers. This study elucidates the short-term impacts of air pollution on cognition and warrants further investigations on the modifying effects of NSAIDs.",

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AU - Hou, Lifang

AU - Schwartz, Joel

AU - Baccarelli, Andrea A.

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Short-term air pollution, cognitive performance and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study

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UN SDGs

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