Exposure Reduces Benefits of Exercise.

• Position: AIR POLLUTION

Exposure to air pollution is associated with a decrease in brain volume and health, stresses a study published in Neurology. Moreover, the benefits of physical activity on brain volume and health were not observed when the environment had higher levels of polluted air.

'This study shows that air pollution is associated with worse brain health, including white matter lesions that are linked with increased risk of stroke and neurodegenerative disease," says Melissa Furlong, assistant professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

We observed that the benefits of physical activity on white matter lesions in the brain significantly diminished as air pollution increased, so that there was no benefit of physical activity on these white matter lesions for people in areas with the highest levels of air pollution. This new analysis underscores the importance of reevaluating emissions standards, since even low levels of air pollution can affect the brain.

"We are increasingly recognizing the...