***The Link between Infections and Alzheimer's Disease

A study recently in the Alzheimer's and Dementia Journal reviewed previous studies in a bid to find a link between different infections and Alzheimer's. One bacterium the researchers have stumbled upon is the Chlamydia Pneumoniae, believed to be the cause of 10 to 20 percent of pneumonia cases outside of hospital related infections. The team discovered in one autopsy-based study that the Chlamydia bacteria was in 90 percent of the brains of 19 Alzheimer's sufferers, but was only in 5 percent of people with no Alzheimer's disease. Another study pinpointed its location near the amyloid plaques, a typical feature of brains suffering from Alzheimer's. While there is no cause-and-effect connection between the bacteria and the disease, the evidence suggests having that microbes may make people more vulnerable to Alzheimer's. Another virus linked with Alzheimer's is the Herpes simplex virus which caused cold sores. A study showed Alzheimer's patients had APOE-4, a gene identified as a risk factor for degenerative brain condition. Dr. Verhoeff the lead researcher used the analogy of the cold sore to show the effect on an infection on developing a disease previously suffered by a person. "Whenever your immune system is compromised, those cold sores come back... We think that some infections can really increase the chance someone could develop Alzheimer's if the person already has other predisposing factors." This re-iterates what I have said in The Alzheimer's Alternative (http://www.alzheimersalternative.com) about the importance of preventative care – keeping up with your exercise eating well and taking your vitamins (especially the B complex as these help to prevent nerve damage and are particularly useful in stopping cold sores).