An apparently trivial virus, responsible for buccal herpes (labial), could have unexpected links with one of the most frightening diseases of old age: Alzheimer.
Herpesul Herpes, associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer shows a large photo photo actuFR study
A new major study draws attention to an unexpected, but worrying connection: the Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) virus, responsible for labial herpes, could play a more complex role than it was-including in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Research, carried out on an impressive sample of about 700,000 patients in the United States and recently published in the prestigious magazine BMJ Openfound that people with Alzheimer’s were 80% higher risk of being diagnosed with HSV-1 infection, compared to those without this neurodegenerative condition. Or in other words: people with HSV-1 had a 80% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, conducted by specialists of the Biopharmaceutical Company Gilead Sciences and Washington University in Seattle, does not establish a cause-effect relationship, but suggests that neurotropic viruses-capable of entering the nervous system-should be monitored more carefully in the context of dementia research.
A ray of hope: Antivirals could reduce the risk
The most promising conclusion of the study is that antiviral treatment has been associated with a 17% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s among people infected with HSV-1. In other words, drugs commonly used to control labial herpes could, unexpectedly, have a protective effect against this neurodegenerative disease.
Among the analyzed patients, most women (65%) with an average age of 73, about 40% followed antiviral treatments, and in this group the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease was significantly lower.
Viruses that target the brain – a new border in neurology
HSV-1 is not the only suspect. The researchers also analyzed other viruses in the herpes-HSV-2, varicella-zosterian and cytomegalovirus virus-all being associated with an increased risk of dementia, although the mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood.
An important aspect is that many HSV-1 infections are asymptomatic, and patients do not seek treatment. This reality makes the interpretation of data difficult. However, the alarm signal remains valid: latent viruses can have unexpected effects on the brain, even decades later.
Myths about the connection between oral herpes and dementia, disassembled
Oral herpes is not a “Shower ticket” To Alzheimer-it is the firm message of the scientific community, which reacts to the new study on the connection between the HSV-1 virus and dementia. Comments, centralized by the international platform Science Media Centeremphasizes that labial herpes infection, although common, does not equate to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Herpes labial is not, in no case, a conviction. It is just a minor risk factor, much less relevant than, say, the natural aging process ”says María Jesús Bullido Gómez-Heras, researcher at the Severo Ochoa center for molecular biology.
Harder in tone is David Vickers, an expert at the University of Calgary, who warns that some studies “Funded by the pharmaceutical industry exaggerates the impact of the HSV-1 virus, a serious omission, given that it is absent in 99.56% of Alzheimer’s cases.”
And yet, the study is not worthless. Tara Spires-Jones, researcher at the University of Edinburgh, considers him
“Well done” and “Aligned with the already existing evidence”. However, it warns: “Herpes is extremely widespread in the population and, under no circumstances, does not automatically mean that a person will develop Alzheimer’s.”
“Many family doctors and the public do not know the benefits of the treatment of herpes infections”
Dr. Sheona Scales, research director at Alzheimer’s Research UK, completes: “Although the study has been based on a large number of patients, there are some limitations, because only data from medical and administrative files were used. We know that there are 14 risk factors confirmed for dementia, and so far there is not enough evidence to include infections on this list. The study shows an association, does not demonstrate a causal relationship, which is why additional research is required to understand,”
Prof. Cornelia Van Duijn, research director Brain Health at HDR UK and epidemiology professor at Oxford University, mentions: “The study shows that antiviral treatment for active HSV-1 infections reduces the risk and postpone the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Because many family doctors and the public do not know the benefits of herpes infections or prevent the activation of the varicella-zosteria virus, it is time to intensify informing medical staff and population.”
The conclusion? A common infection, such as labial herpes, is not an oracle of the neurological future. Not everything that seems threatening is necessarily dangerous. In science, shades matter.
Prevention of herpes-viruses: a new hope in the fight against dementia
The researchers point out that the results of the study strengthen the idea of preventing infections with viruses in the herpes family as a priority in public health. In other words, which so far seemed only a recurrent dermatological problem could become a key element in the global fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
In a world where the population ages rapidly, such discoveries could redesign the strategy of preventing one of the most devastating diseases of the third.
It remains to be seen if and when the definitive confirmation comes. Until then, this research opens a brave and deep direction in understanding.
