Sunday August 21, 2022 – Author:
dr
Can chronic viral diseases promote the development of Alzheimer’s disease? An Anglo-American study confirms this thesis and thus expands the list of possible causes discussed in science for this most common form of dementia.
Many people know herpes blisters on the lips. The reason for this is an infection with the so-called herpes simplex virus type 1. The second form of herpes disease is shingles, which is caused by the “varicella zoster virus” (VZV). A study by the universities of Oxford and Manchester in Great Britain and a university in Massachusetts (USA) suggests that herpes viruses can promote Alzheimer’s disease, although they themselves Not belongs to infectious diseases.
“Previously neglected but entirely possible new cause”
“The results of this experimental study broaden our view of the development of Alzheimer’s disease to include a previously neglected but absolutely possible new cause,” says medical doctor and neuroscientist Michael Überall, commenting on the results of the study: “chronic viral diseases”. It is therefore all the more important to keep an eye on herpes diseases. It is estimated that around 50 percent of all adults carry the herpes simplex virus type 1 and 95 percent of all people over the age of 60 carry the varicella zoster virus.
The virus lies dormant in the body – suddenly shingles breaks out
For a long time, this carrier status with regard to herpes viruses was rather insignificant for most of those affected. As the average age increases and the proportion of older people in the total population increases, there are also more potential patients in whom viruses can be reactivated due to age.
In the case of shingles, the infection does not come from the outside, but to a certain extent from the inside, because: Today, almost everyone over 60 carries the varicella-zoster virus – following a chickenpox illness, which usually occurred in childhood. This virus can lie dormant in the body for a long time. If there is a temporary immune deficiency due to age, stress or illness, this can lead to reactivation of the virus in the body – and shingles can break out.
The more viruses, the stronger the plaque formation in the brain
Because people are getting older, comes the virus-related Formation of the proteins that form deposits (plaques) in the brain and are jointly responsible for Alzheimer’s disease, an increasingly important role. “Even if we don’t really know yet how these proteins impair the function of the nerve cells, it is at least clear that the extent of formation and deposition depends on the number and severity of VZV reactivations and the severity of Alzheimer’s disease is closely related,” says physician Überall, who is also Vice President of the German Society for Pain Medicine (DGS).
Shingles: Vaccination at a young age can prevent infection
“If this connection is also confirmed in clinical studies, then the varicella-zoster virus might offer the possibility of influencing the path by which Alzheimer’s disease develops or perhaps even of preventing it to a large extent,” says neuroscientist Überall: through vaccination with the live vaccine in childhood to avoid initial infection with VZV; and by vaccinating adults with the inactivated vaccine to strengthen the immune system and prevent reactivation of varicella-zoster viruses already in the body.
Vaccination in old age to prevent outbreak of shingles
In order to prevent reactivation of varicella-zoster viruses and an outbreak of shingles, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends vaccination once morest shingles for people over 60 years of age. For people with underlying diseases, this already applies from the age of 50. The costs are now covered by the statutory health insurance.
This not only prevents months of nerve pain, which can occur as a main complication in regarding 30 percent of those affected following the original VZV infection, says physician Überall. At the same time, everyone who has been vaccinated can reduce their personal risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.