Exposure to wildfire smoke is linked with higher risk of dementia, UW study shows

A new study, led by researchers at the University of Washington, has linked exposure to wildfire smoke with a higher risk of developing dementia. The study followed more than 1.2 million Kaiser Permanente Southern California members from 2008 to 2019. It also found that minority communities and those living in higher-poverty census tracts were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than white or higher-income patients.

Joan Casey is an associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at UW. She joins us with more details on how wildfire smoke can affect our brains and bodies.