Viral Infections Linked with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and Dementia
Analysis of 500,000 medical records shows link between viruses and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and Dementia.
With recent findings that connect Epstein-Barr virus with increased risk of multiple sclerosis and growing concerns regarding the impact of COVID-19 on neurological health, researchers set out to investigate the relationship between viral infections and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
Using national biobanks, researchers to gathered and analyzed nearly 500,000 medical records. They found 22 links between viral infections and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and Dementia.
People treated for viral encephalitis were 31 times more likely develop Alzheimer’s Disease
People hospitalized for pneumonia following flu were also had higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and Dementia.
Other infections including intestinal infections, meningitis and shingles were also associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
The significant impact of viral infections not only affects people in the short term. Researchers found that the impact can increase risk up to 15 years after infection.
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Levine KS, Leonard HL, Blauwendraat C, et al. Virus exposure and neurodegenerative disease risk across national biobanks. Neuron. 2023;111(7):1086-1093.e2. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.029. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36669485/