PHILADELPHIA — Exposure to wildfire smoke increases the risk of being diagnosed with dementia more than other types of air pollution, according to a decade-long study of more than 1.2 million people in southern California. The findings… suggest the brain health threat posed by wildfire smoke is higher than other forms of air pollution. Wildfire smoke, motor vehicles and factories all emit a type of air pollution called fine particulate matter (PM2.5). …Researchers found that the risk of dementia diagnosis due to exposure to PM2.5 in wildfire smoke was notably stronger — even with less exposure — than the risk due to the other sources of PM2.5 air pollution. Exposure to non-wildfire PM2.5 raised the risk of dementia diagnosis, but not as much as wildfire smoke. “These findings underscore the importance of enacting policies to prevent wildfires and investigating better methods to address them,” said Claire Sexton, DPhil, Alzheimer’s Association senior director of scientific programs and outreach.