| Poster | Poster Session 06 Program Schedule
02/15/2024
04:00 pm - 05:15 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)
Poster Session 06: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2
Final Abstract #105
Association of Environmental Factors on Neurodegenerative Disease: A Systematic Review
Ria Vakharia, Quarry Lane School, San Ramon, United States
Paul Lewis, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, United States
Category: Neurodegenerative Disorders
Keyword 1: environmental pollutants / exposures
Keyword 2: Parkinson's disease
Keyword 3: dementia - Alzheimer's disease
Objective:
Environmental factors are hypothesized to contribute to the pathology of neurodegenerative disorders. This review aims to understand how pesticides, metals, and diet influence the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Participants and Methods:
A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using various iterations of keywords such as ‘Neurodegenerative Disease’, ‘Environmental Factors’, and ‘Cognitive Reserve’ in PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and JSTOR databases. The initial search yielded 2,191 articles that were filtered by English language, duplicate removal, publication date in the last 25 years, and the topic of neurodegenerative disease (n = 69). Articles were further screened by abstract for relevance (n = 41). The full text of the 41 remaining articles were assessed and 12 were excluded for irrelevance to topic or confounding factors. Review articles were examined for their scope and focus, ensuring that those included were appropriately targeted and aligned with the objectives of this synthesis. A total of n = 29 studies were included in this analysis.
Results:
Patients in the third tertile of occupational exposure to pesticides were found to have higher association with Parkinsonism (PR = 2.5, 95% CI [1.3-5.2], p<0.05). At high dosages, pesticides can induce oxidative stress and neuron loss, thereby impairing brain function and accelerating cognitive decline (Alzheimer’s disease: PR = 2.10, 95% CI [1.96-2.25], p<0.001; Parkinson’s disease: PR = 1.30, 95% CI [1.22–1.39], p<0.001). Conclusive data on the harmful potential of individual pesticides has not yet been collected. Dietary supplements such as antioxidants and B vitamins have been associated with decreased homocysteine concentrations and oxidative stress levels, both of which are established as precursors to Alzheimer’s disease. Regular consumption of fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, were associated with lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms by improving cognition and brain health (F=4.38, p=0.02). High levels of saturated fats were associated with cognitive decline, hypothesized to be related to generation of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) through the processing of foods rich with saturated fats. AGEs have been related to accelerated progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and AGE receptors are often overexpressed in patients with Alzheimer’s. Excess transition metals, such as iron, copper, and zinc, were associated with an increase in oxidative stress and cognitive deterioration (d=−0.55, 95% CI [–0.85- –0.25], p=0.0003). Exposure to non-essential metals, such as aluminum, can lead these metals to accumulate in parts of the brain where they may misfold proteins and potentially increase the risk and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Conclusions:
Exposure to environmental factors, specifically pesticides, diet, and metals, is associated with neurodegenerative disease markers. As opposed to occupational exposure, environmental exposure to pesticides has been minimally studied, limiting inferences on how pesticide exposure influences neurodegenerative diseases. Potential biases and insignificance across various studies necessitates further research on these factors. This may improve understanding of the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases and influence public health measures for prevention.
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