Have you got cold sores? You may be more likely to risk Alzheimer’s

Some common germs may be planted later in life. Today’s research has found a link between many infectious diseases, especially simple herpes (HSV-1), and a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists at Gilead Sciences conducted the study, Published Tuesday at BMJ Open. They analyzed the medical records of Americans with health insurance, and found that people with Alzheimer’s and relevant conditions were more likely to diagnose HSV-1. The results are the latest that indicates that the prevention of HSV-1 treatment and similar viruses can be an effective scale against dementia.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form DifferenceWhich affects nearly 7 million Americans today. Most cases are caused by a complex mixture of environmental and/or genetic factors. In recent years, many studies have suggested that some HSV-1 infections-can be part of this equation. HSV-1 is the main cause of oral escape, known as cold sores, although most people with people will face a few symptoms; It can cause genital herpes (primarily due to HSV-2).

Not all Ticket He supported this viral link, so the authors decided to look at themselves, with the help of real world data. According to the main researcher Luke Liu, this is the first study that uses a large database of insurance demands in the United States to examine the relationship between Alzheimer’s and HSV-1.

Liu and his team compared the health results of about 400,000 Americans, who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s people without Alzheimer’s disease who were identical to age, sex and other factors. Only a small percentage of people with Alzheimer’s disease had a previous HSV-1 diagnosis (slightly lower than 0.5 %), but they still have more often more than controls (about 80 % more likely).

Then the researchers looked at a broader group of people with other forms of dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease, and they found a similar pattern. In addition, they found a link between Alzheimer’s disease and two other herpes viruses, Simplex-2 herpes, vibrant foolish virus, and the cause of chickenpox and logical images. Interestingly, they also found that people who received antiviral treatment for HSV-1 were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease more than people with HSV-1 who have not received treatment (anti-virus can suppress and shorten active outbreaks, although infection is not treated).

Observed studies cannot prove a link to the cause and the result between HSV-1 and Alzheimer, but the condition of such a connection appears to increase strength.

“The exposure to herpes viruses is likely to be associated with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, and anti -escaping drugs can be protection against Alzheimer’s disease and relevant dementia,” said Liu, Gilead’s virus in Gizmodo in an email.

There are still important questions about this connection, including the actual mechanisms concerned. Some research suggested that the immune system produce in our brain Beta amyloid and Tao To defend the herpes virus infection, for example (the wrong forms of these proteins are the main engines of Alzheimer’s disease). But there may be more ways that HSV-1 and similar viruses can be launched or accelerate the condition.

Other factors are certainly playing a role, especially since many people shrink HSV-1 in their lives, but they never develop Alzheimer’s disease. Almost two thirds of the world’s population under the age of 50 He carries HSV-1, according to the World Health Organization. Researchers note that the HSV-1/Alzheimer link is stronger in the elderly, and other research indicates that people with APOE-4 alleles-a genetic variable already increases the risk of Alzheimer’s-appears to be more likely to HSV-1. So it is possible that these viruses are one of many domino that can fall and eventually lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

However, the total evidence indicates that people can reduce dementia by treating or preventing some infections. Many studies have found a link between Logical vaccination and reduce Alzheimer’s diseaseFor example. There can be something that justifies clinical trials that test if there can be something to justify antiviral treatments for herpes, although Liu notes that the type of research will take great resources out of the ground. Search continues as well Vaccine development For HSV-1 and HSV-2-the search may be more worthy than currently supposed.

The researchers wrote: “These results focus more on the display of the prevention of herpes viruses as a priority for public health,” the researchers wrote.