Causal Effects of Ambient PM2.5 and Occupational Chemical Exposures on All‐Cause Dementia and Vascular Dementia: A Mendelian Randomization Study

This MR study supports causal associations between PM2.5 air pollution and occupational chemical exposures in increasing dementia risk. The association with VAD highlights vascular pathways as potential mediators. While the magnitude of occupational risk requires replication due to wide confidence intervals, these findings highlight the urgent need for public health interventions to mitigate air pollution and occupational chemical exposure, ultimately reducing dementia risk and improving public health outcomes. Limitations of this study include the assumptions of MR, such as linearity and lifelong exposure effects, as well as the potential for unmeasured confounders in genetic instruments.