article_snippet.sent: Living near congested roads with high levels of air pollution can cause ‘silent strokes’ which increase the risk of dementia, scientists have warned.
article_snippet.sent: Exposure to small, sooty particles, mostly caused by traffic fumes and factory emissions, alters the structure of the brain, scientists said.
article_snippet.sent: Living near a congested road can increase the chance of developing dementia, research has found .
article_snippet.sent: Researchers examined the brains of more than 900 people aged more than 60 and assessed the pollution risk .
article_snippet.sent: US researchers found evidence that living near congested roads or polluted areas can lead to ‘silent strokes’ which in turn cause shrinkage of the brain and other damage.
article_snippet.sent: We now plan to look more at the impact of air pollution over a longer period, air pollution effect on brain shrinkage over time, and other risks including stroke and dementia.
article_snippet.sent: The study participants’ brain matter was measured using MRI scans.
article_snippet.sent: The study participants found that increases in PM2.5 in towns and cities was linked with a 46 per cent higher risk of silent strokes.
article_snippet.sent: Researcher Elissa Wilker, of the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said: ‘This is one of the first studies to look at the relationship between ambient air pollution and brain structure.
article_snippet.sent: Our findings suggest that air pollution is associated with insidious effects, even in dementia and stroke-free individuals.
highlights_snippet.sent: Experts believe that air pollution could increase the risk of 'silent strokes'
  Microscopic particles in pollution are thought to kill 29,000 people a year .
  