Source: Fox News
Summary
A new study published in PLOS Medicine suggests a link between severe infections and an increased risk of late-onset dementia. Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, analyzed data from over 65,000 patients with dementia and found that 47% of cases occurred after one of 29 identified diseases, including two infections: cystitis and general bacterial infection. The study found that those with hospital-treated cystitis and bacterial infection had a 19% higher rate of late-onset dementia.
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The advice sounds familiar.
This study adds to the growing body of research exploring the link between infections and dementia. The findings suggest that severe infections may accelerate underlying cognitive decline, but the study’s observational nature means that cause and effect cannot be proven. The researchers recommend staying up to date on vaccinations, while experts emphasize that having an infection does not guarantee the development of dementia.
It’s another piece of the puzzle in understanding the complex risk factors for dementia.
As one expert noted, “We’re moving away from thinking about dementia as a single disease with a single cause, and toward understanding it as the result of multiple interacting factors over time.”
The familiar pattern of new research, cautious language, and shifting guidelines continues.
Yet, the study’s size and findings suggest that it could be applied to other populations, and that severe infections may play an independent role in increasing the risk of dementia.
Author: Evan Null
