Alzheimer’s is a disease that slowly takes away memory and thinking skills. While doctors have not yet found out exactly what causes it, new studies are pointing to something surprising — certain viruses might play a part.
What Are Scientists Finding?
Many scientists believe that a group of viruses, especially ones that cause chickenpox, shingles, and cold sores, might have a link to Alzheimer’s. These include viruses like herpes simplex (HSV-1) and varicella zoster (VZV). These viruses are very common. In fact, nearly everyone has been exposed to at least one of them.
According to Dr. Manjari Tripathi from AIIMS in New Delhi, people who carry a gene called APOE-E4 are already at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s. When they also have these viruses, their chances seem to go up even more.
How Could Viruses Be Connected to Alzheimer’s?
The theory is that these viruses may cause swelling in the brain. This swelling might lead to the build-up of harmful proteins — amyloid beta and tau — which are often seen in people with Alzheimer’s. These protein clumps can damage brain cells and make it harder for the brain to work properly.
Some scientists believe these protein clumps might actually be the brain’s way of protecting itself from viruses. In young people, the body clears them out easily. But in older adults, they stick around and cause trouble.
Interestingly, researchers found that people who got vaccines for shingles, flu, and even tuberculosis were less likely to get Alzheimer’s. A recent study done in Wales looked at over 2.8 lakh older people. Those who got these shots were about 20% less likely to develop memory problems.
More Than Just Infections
While infections are a big focus, they’re not the only thing researchers are looking into. Other possible triggers include:
- Repeated head injuries
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Poor sleep or sleep disorders like sleep apnea
- Gut-related issues that might affect brain health
- A problem in the body’s clean-up system that normally removes bad proteins from brain cells
Scientists are also looking at how metals in the brain might cause harm.
What Treatments Are Available?
At the moment, there’s no cure. But some medicines can slow the disease down. In the US, a few treatments have been approved that try to clear the harmful proteins from the brain using special antibodies. One of the latest drugs, donanemab, showed that it could slow memory decline by over 35% in early stages of the illness. Still, these treatments are very expensive and may cause small brain bleeds.
Dr. Tripathi believes that more attention should be given to preventing the disease rather than only treating it once it appears. She also recommends that adults, not just children, should keep up with their vaccinations — especially for flu, pneumonia, and shingles.
Even though there’s still a lot to understand, the idea that viruses could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s is giving researchers a new direction. The hope is that by stopping these infections early, or protecting against them with vaccines, we might reduce the number of people who get this heartbreaking illness.
It’s a reminder that sometimes answers to big problems can come from unexpected places — like a small shot in the arm.