According to the latest reports, it seems that the herpes virus could have connections to Alzheimer’s disease. Check out the latest reports below.
Alzheimer’s disease and herpes virus
A research study was conducted in Sweden and was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in February. The study involved more than 1,000 individuals who were 70 years old and were in good cognitive health.
The researchers evaluated the participants at the beginning of the study and then re-evaluated them at the ages of 75 and 80. The participants’ medical records were monitored until they reached the age of 85.
The researchers conducted an analysis of blood samples to identify any indications of past infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2. They also examined the presence of the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE 4) genetic mutation, which is linked to an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the recent study, individuals who have contracted the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) at some point in their lives are twice as likely to develop dementia as compared to those who have never been infected. This study supports previous research suggesting the same conclusion.
However, this is the first research that establishes a link between HSV-1 and cognitive decline in participants who were of the same age at the beginning of the study.
This makes “the results even more reliable since age differences, which are otherwise linked to the development of dementia, cannot confuse the results,” Erika Vestin, a medical student at Uppsala University and study co-author, said in a press statement.
“More and more evidence is emerging from studies that, like our findings, point to the herpes simplex virus as a risk factor for dementia.”
Oral herpes caused by HSV-1 is very common in the United States with a prevalence of 50% to 80%, causing cold sores or fever blisters to appear in or around the mouth.
