HSV1 infection and senile dementia tagged posts

Researchers found large amounts of viral DNA in key areas of the brains of Alzheimer’s patients CREDIT: REDHEAD ET AL

Decades of research show a striking correlation between Alzheimer’s disease risk and infection with Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV1) in people carrying a specific gene. Now, newly-available epidemiological data provide a causal link between HSV1 infection and senile dementia – raising the tantalizing prospect of a simple, effective preventive treatment for one of humanity’s costliest disorders.

Professor Ruth Itzhaki. Her latest paper presents a lifetime of research evidence that the herpes virus responsible for cold sores can also cause Alzheimer’s – and new data which show antiviral drugs drastically reduce risk of senile dementia in patients with severe herpes infections...