Dementia – a condition that describes the state of a person’s mental function, affects about one in 10 older adults in the US, affecting millions of people worldwide. Studies have found that common infections increase the risk of dementia later in life, raising questions about how infections contribute to cognitive decline and what can be done to reduce this risk.

Study, published in journal nature aging Data from nearly 1,000 participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were analyzed. Scientists tracked participants’ brain volume and infection history and found that six infections were associated with greater brain volume loss.

These infections include influenza, herpes viruses, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, skin infections, and miscellaneous viral infections. risk of dementiaFlu and herpes infections showed specific associations with decreased brain volume in the temporal lobe, which is important for memory.

How was the study conducted?

According to experts, researchers analyzed data from nearly 500,000 people in the UK Biobank and more than 270,000 people in Finland. People who have a history of infection have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life, the researchers said. In people who had a history of infection, changes were seen in 260 immune-related proteins, 35 of which were specifically associated with changes in brain volume.

“Our findings support the role of infection in dementia risk and identify molecular mediators by which infection may contribute to neurodegeneration,” the researchers wrote in the study.

Why does infection increase the risk of dementia?

According to experts, there are several reasons due to which infection increases the risk of dementia, which leads to prolonged hospitalization, sepsis and delirium, which increases the risk of cognitive decline. They also trigger systemic inflammation and immune responses in the body, which have the potential to impact brain health.

A mild infection may not trigger such a large inflammatory or immune response that it would affect protein expression leading to neurodegeneration.

How to reduce the risk of infections causing dementia?

Experts say that even though it’s not obvious, staying up to date on vaccines can prevent dementia. However, regular vaccination helps prevent serious diseases caused by common infections, which also reduces the long-term risk of developing dementia or cognitive decline.

Severe infections also cause additional damage to brain cells, so it is important to get the recommended vaccinations to maintain your overall health.

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