Characterization of the Chemical Exposome in the elderly General Population and Relationship to Brain Health

The risk factors for dementia, which affects 1.2 million people in France and 50 million worldwide, are only partially understood. A vulnerability of the brain throughout life to environmental chemical agents has been established. However, only a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of chemical substances on the market have been studied and the extent of this chemical exposome is unknown

This study led by Cécilia Samieri aims to determine whether there is a link between the daily chemical exposure we face, via our environment and lifestyle, and brain aging, as well as diseases that cause premature brain aging such as Alzheimer's disease.

The team's objective is first to build the first large database on the blood chemical exposome in the elderly French general population. The next step will be to study the impact of this exposome on brain aging by correlating it with the decline in cognitive performance, the loss of neurons and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.

The data generated will not only make it possible to study the possibility of an environmental cause of premature brain aging and Alzheimer's disease, but also, in the future, to study the impact of the exposome on the development of other pathologies. These unprecedented results could lead to new preventive strategies against Alzheimer's disease and possibly several other chronic diseases.