Climate change worsens symptoms of neurological diseases, study finds

climate change is not only harmful for the planet, but also for the physical and psychological health of humans, something that has been confirmed in a recent study. Researchers claim that neurological diseases such as headaches, dementia and multiple sclerosis are getting worse due to global warming.

This is the conclusion of a review of studies, published between 1990 and 2022, on climate change and neurological diseases, where it was proven that “extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations were associated with a higher prevalence of stroke, but also of migraines, hospitalization of patients with dementia”, explains The Independent newspaper.

Furthermore, in this review, published in the journal Neurology by the American Academy of Neurology, researchers also found a link between extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations and stronger symptoms.

Scientists also concluded that climate change creates “favorable conditions that encourage the spread of diseases such as West Nile virus, meningococcal meningitis and tick-borne encephalitis,” the paper says.

Conditions that also allowed these infections to expand “beyond traditional geographic areas”, putting new populations at risk, the scientists explain.

The publication also notes that exposure to pollutants, carried by the air, such as nitrates and fine particulate matter, was also associated with the incidence of strokes, headaches, risk of dementia, Parkinson’s disease. In addition, it also worsens conditions such as multiple sclerosis, adds the newspaper.

Andrew Dhawan, of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and author of the review, told the paper that despite the international community’s attempts to slow global temperature rise, “irreversible environmental changes have already taken place.”