Air Pollution Tied to Higher Motor Neuron Disease Risk and Faster Progression, Swedish Study Finds

Overview

• Long-term exposure to outdoor air pollutants was associated with a 20–30% higher likelihood of developing motor neuron disease.
• Higher exposure correlated with faster motor and respiratory decline after diagnosis, greater mortality, and increased need for invasive ventilation.
• Researchers modeled PM2.5, PM2.5–10, PM10, and nitrogen dioxide at participants’ residences for up to ten years before diagnosis.
• Findings were consistent in sibling comparisons and when restricted to ALS, with patterns pointing to traffic-related pollutants such as PM10 and NO2.
• The authors caution that the observational design cannot prove causation, noting that associations appeared even at pollutant levels near WHO guidelines in Sweden.