2023-08-14 08:00:01
Harmful to respiratory and cardiovascular health, air pollution is also harmful to the central nervous system, leading to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. What if air pollution also had an impact on neurodegenerative processes in the eye? This is what a recent Bordeaux study suggests, according to which air pollution increases the risk of glaucoma.. Focus on the conclusions of this study.
Impact of air pollution on the central nervous system
The harmful effects of atmospheric pollutants on respiratory and cardiovascular functions are now well known. Currently, scientific studies tend to show that chronic exposure to air pollution also impacts the central nervous system by increasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. in adults and neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Among the existing neurodegenerative diseases, let us mention glaucoma, which designates an eye disease characterized by the progressive destruction of the optic nerve. This pathology causes the thinning of the layer of retinal nerve fibers that are part of the central nervous system.
In the context where glaucoma represents the second cause of blindness in developed countries, Bordeaux researchers wanted to study the effect of exposure to air pollutants on neurodegenerative processes in the eyes.
Exposure to pollutants and faster thinning of the retina
To carry out their study, the scientists followed a Bordeaux cohort made up of 683 people aged over 75 for ten years. To estimate their level of exposure to air pollution during the ten years preceding the study, the researchers relied on the address of their place of residence as well as on maps detailing precisely the annual exposure to each pollutant. .
To know ! : These precise maps took into account air quality and meteorological and geographical characteristics (proximity to a road, population density, altitude, etc.).
The participants then underwent eye exams every two years between 2009 and 2020. The aim was to measure changes in the thickness of the nerve fiber layer of their retina.
The researchers were then able to observe that people who have been exposed to high concentrations of fine particles (25 µg/m3) showed more rapid thinning of the retinal nerve layer over time than people exposed to concentrations of 20 µg/m3.
To know ! : The annual fine particle regulatory threshold set by the European Union must not exceed 25 μg/m3which represents a concentration 5 times higher than the limit values recommended by the World Health Organization (lowered in 2021 to 5 μg/m3).
A risk of glaucoma increased by air pollution?
Published in the journal Environmental Research, these results confirm the effects of air pollution on neurodegenerative processes and neurological aging. They also suggest a possible increase in the risk of glaucoma for people living in areas polluted with fine particles, even at levels below the current regulatory thresholds of the European Union (25 µg/m3). We bet that they will make it possible to move the lines by helping to lower the European regulatory thresholds as recommended by the World Health Organization.
Next step for researchers? Deepen knowledge of the effects of air pollution on ocular aging by expanding this study with data from other French cohorts.
Déborah L., Dr in Pharmacy
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