Sensitive to cold sores? Research shows that you have a DOUBLE risk of dementia later in life

  • People with dementia are at greater risk of becoming infected with the herpes simplex virus
  • It is believed that between 50 and 80 percent of American adults have the cold sore virus
  • READ MORE: Doctors demand Biden take dementia tests after week of blunders

A study shows that people prone to cold sores have a double risk of dementia later in life.

Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden found that people infected with the herpes simplex virus (HSV) – which causes cold sores – were twice as likely to develop all forms of dementia at some point in their lives, compared with those who never suffered from dementia. infected.

It is thought that the virus could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease because fragments of the virus remain in your body for life and there is evidence that they travel to the brain, where they cause the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau causes, which are characteristics of the disease. Dementia.

It is believed that between 50 and 80 percent of American adults have the HSV virus. It remains dormant in the body, but during times when the immune system is low, exposure to the hot sun, cold wind, cold or other illness or even stress can cause pimples.

Researchers found that people infected with the herpes simplex virus – which causes cold sores – were twice as likely to develop dementia at some point in their lives, compared to those who were never infected.

Alzheimer’s disease is becoming increasingly common in America. Deaths from the disease have increased since 2000

Although the study was observational and cannot prove the link, it is consistent with previous findings.

For the latest research, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s DiseaseFor 15 years, researchers studied more than 1,000 70-year-old Swedes.

“What is special about this particular study is that the participants are approximately the same age, which makes the results even more reliable, because age differences, which are otherwise associated with the development of dementia, cannot confound the results,” says Erika Vestin, a medical student. from Uppsala University, told Medical Xpress.

Blood samples were collected and analyzed to detect whether they had the herpes simplex virus.

The researchers also collected information about dementia diagnoses and indications of cognitive impairment from the participants’ medical records.

Researchers from the Memory Clinic at Uppsala University Hospital reviewed the diagnoses and classified cases as established or probable dementia.

About 71 participants (seven percent) developed dementia and 36 (four percent) developed Alzheimer’s disease.

About 89 percent of participants who developed Alzheimer’s disease or dementia had the herpes simplex virus, while 82 percent of those without cognitive impairment had the virus.

Through statistical analyses, the researchers determined that having the virus doubled the risk of dementia.

Dementia is the general term for a group of conditions associated with loss of memory, language and judgment.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of the disease, affecting more than six million Americans, while Lewy body dementia is the second most common form, with approximately one million people living with the condition.

What is Alzheimer’s disease and how is it treated?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain in which the buildup of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die.

This disrupts the transmitters that transmit messages and causes the brain to shrink.

More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the sixth leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have the disease.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost.

That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason.

The progression of the disease is slow and gradual.

On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some can live another ten to fifteen years.

EARLY SYMPTOMS:

  • Loss of short-term memory
  • Disorientation
  • Behavioral changes
  • Mood swings
  • Problems handling money or making a phone call

LATER SYMPTOMS:

  • Severe memory loss, forgetting close relatives, familiar objects or places
  • Becoming anxious and frustrated about the inability to understand the world, leading to aggressive behavior
  • Eventually you lose the ability to walk
  • May have problems eating
  • The majority will ultimately require 24-hour care

HOW IT IS TREATED?

There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

However, there are some treatments available that help relieve some of the symptoms.

One of these is acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which help brain cells communicate with each other.

Another example is memantine, which works by blocking a chemical called glutamate, which can build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and inhibit mental function.

As the disease progresses, Alzheimer’s patients may exhibit aggressive behavior and/or suffer from depression. Medications may be provided to help relieve these symptoms.

Other non-pharmaceutical treatments, such as mental training to improve memory and combat one aspect of Alzheimer’s disease, are also recommended.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association and the NHS

Sweden Alzheimer’s disease

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