Ramón y Cajal researcher at the National Center for Environmental Health of the Carlos III Health Institute
Chronic exposure to various air pollutants has been linked to an increased risk of stroke, but the short-term effects have been less well studied. A review of 110 papers and more than 18 million stroke cases shows that recent exposure - in the five days prior to stroke - also increases the likelihood of stroke. The results are published in the journal Neurology.
An international group of researchers has conducted an epidemiological study to investigate the correlation between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution and certain types of lung cancer. The authors have confirmed their findings in animal models, according to research published in Nature.
Air pollution has been repeatedly linked to the risk of developing dementia. In addition to confirming this association, a study published in the journal PNAS has analysed the individual risk posed by the components present in PM2.5 fine particulate matter.
Two researchers propose that the anti-diarrhoeal drug Loperamide could be a candidate for treating the main symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as difficulties in social interaction and communication. The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, has used a computer model that includes the proteins involved in ASD and has analysed how different drugs affect them.
A study published in Cell Reports shows that air pollution and stress during pregnancy disrupt the brain wiring of developing male and not female mice, causing autism-like social behavior in them.