Association of Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure with Dementia-Related Neuropathologies at Autopsy in a Community-Based Cohort

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate long-term antemortem exposure to four pollutants in relation to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), cerebrovascular, and other dementia-related neuropathologies, measured at autopsy. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Individual participant data from four Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RADC) longitudinal cohort studies: Memory and Aging Project, Minority Aging Research Study, Rush Clinical Core, and Latino Core. The cohorts enrolled participants residing in Chicago, Illinois (USA), including its metropolitan area and suburbs, and in outlying areas of Illinois. Participants 909 decedents from the four RADC cohorts who underwent brain autopsy. Setting RADC cohorts are drawn from northeastern Illinois (IL) and Chicago metropolitan, suburban, and outlying areas of IL. Participants All participants were aged > 60 years at enrollment. Analyses included 909 decedents with air pollution exposure measures who underwent autopsies prior to 2020 (of 3,579 who enrolled by the end of 2019); all autopsies were from community-based cohorts. Exposures Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ; particles