People who responded to the World Trade Center attacks in 2001 and had more serious exposure to dust or debris were at a higher risk for developing dementia before they were 65, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers examined data from 5,010 responders who were a median age of 53 at the first assessment. Data was collected from 2014 through 2022. Researchers compared responders’ exposure levels to dust and debris, and also noted which people used personal protective equipment when at the site. Responders 60 years of age or younger without dementia at the time of their first cognitive assessment received follow-ups every 18 months, on average, for up to five years as part of the study.
Participants were defined as responders if they worked “for at least four hours between Sept. 11 and Sept. 14, 2001, for 24 hours at any other time in September, or for at least 80 hours across the entire response period between Sept. 11, 2001 and July 31, 2002.”
During the course of the study, 228 cases of dementia were identified when the responders turned 65 years old. Increasing exposure severity was linked with increases in the incident rate for dementia.
Responders in the mild exposure group were more than 12 times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared to those in the low exposure group. People in the high exposure group had 30 times the risk for dementia, while people with severe exposures had more than 42 times the risk for developing dementia, the data showed.
“This study suggests that the reliable use of PPE might help prevent the onset of dementia before age 65 years among individuals exposed to an uncontrolled building collapse,” the authors wrote.
