COVID-19 increases Alzheimer risk in elderly people within one year by 80%
September 16, 2022 By Awanish Kumar
(Image Credit Google)
The effects of COVID-19 over the long run are both well-documented and enigmatic. The effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the body and the psyche are still being fully understood by medical professionals and researchers. According to a new study from Case Western Reserve University, older persons who catch COVID may have a 50–80% increased risk of developing Alzheimer's within a year.
Researchers examined data from over six million individuals and discovered that, compared to a control group, adults over 65 who had COVID-19 had a substantially higher likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease within a year of their illness. The risk of significant cognitive deterioration was highest in women above the age of 85.
“The factors that play into the development of Alzheimer’s disease have been poorly understood, but two pieces considered important are prior infections, especially viral infections, and inflammation,” says study co-author Pamela Davis, Distinguished University Professor and The Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, in a university release.
“Since infection with SARS-CoV2 has been associated with central nervous system abnormalities including inflammation, we wanted to test whether, even in the short term, COVID could lead to increased diagnoses.”
Alzheimer cases may increase exponentially
Researchers looked at 6.2 million American individuals 65 and older who got medical care between February 2020 and May 2021 by looking at anonymized electronic health records. These patients likewise had no past dementia diagnoses or histories.
The participants were subsequently split into two groups: those who had COVID-19 at that time and those who had never had COVID, according to the study authors. Over 400,000 people were in the coronavirus group, compared to 5.8 million in the non-COVID group.
“If this increase in new diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease is sustained, the wave of patients with a disease currently without a cure will be substantial and could further strain our long-term care resources,” Prof. Davis explains.
“Alzheimer’s disease is a serious and challenging disease, and we thought we had turned some of the tides on it by reducing general risk factors such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. Now, so many people in the U.S. have had COVID, and the long-term consequences of COVID are still emerging. It is important to continue to monitor the impact of this disease on future disability.”
By Awanish Kumar
I keep abreast of the latest technological developments to bring you unfiltered information about gadgets.