People who have been infected with the herpes virus at some point in their lives are twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those who have never been infected with the herpes virus. This was shown by a new study by researchers at the University of Uppsala in Sweden, which confirms previous evidence that the herpes virus is a possible independent factor in the onset of dementia.
Herpes labialis virus “in the dock”
To reach their conclusions, the researchers studied 1,000 70-year-olds from Uppsala, whom they followed for a period of 15 years. They discovered, as they reported in the scientific magazine “Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease”, that people who had been infected at some point in their lives with the herpes simplex virus (HSV) which causes our well-known cold sores and genital herpes but also encephalitis and generalized infection in newborns, were twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those who had never been infected with HSV.
80% of the adult population carries the virus
It should be noted that HSV is very common – it is estimated that up to 80% of the adult population may be infected with it. Once the virus “enters” the body, it never leaves it, but is associated with outbreaks and recessions in different periods of life. Many people have the virus in their body for life in a hypnotic state without ever showing symptoms.
Reliable results
“What is special about this study is that the participants were about the same age, which makes the results even more reliable given that age differences, which are associated with the onset of dementia, do not exist in this case to create confusion about the results,” explained Erika Westin from Uppsala University, who was one of the authors of the study.
Dementia “epidemic”.
Dementia is a modern “epidemic” that is expected to take on even greater proportions in the coming years due to the aging of the world’s population – it is estimated that more than 55 million people currently suffer from this neurodegenerative disease. In addition to advanced age, the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) gene is a known risk factor for developing dementia.
Towards new preventive and therapeutic avenues
“More and more evidence is emerging that points to herpes simplex virus as a risk factor for dementia,” Ms. Westin noted, adding that these results point to the need for further investigation into whether existing drugs against HSV can reduce the risk. dementia as well as whether new vaccines can be developed which, by preventing herpes, will be able to put a “brake” on dementia as well. “Our results can lead dementia research to new ways of treating it at an early stage using common herpes drugs and to new ways of preventing the disease,” concluded the researcher.
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