According to Swedish researchers, people who are infected with the herpes virus are twice as likely to develop dementia later in life.
Herpes virus is very common. Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) is the most common herpes and causes the labial form. In other words, cold sores. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that two-thirds of the world’s population is infected.
If they can be contagious, through contact with the oral mucous membrane, “Cold sores” are largely considered benign. But what are their long-term effects?
Herpes simplex in the front line
Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden studied 1,000 septuagenarians over a 15-year period. By analyzing the participants’ serum (the fluid part of the blood that remains after clotting), the authors found that people carried antibodies “Anti-herpes simplex virus” – who were infected with the virus – were twice as likely to develop dementia as those who had never been infected.
So their observations confirm other previous research. namely the potential role of viral infections, especially herpes simplex, in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Increasing evidence implicates herpes simplex virus as a risk factor for dementia “, the researchers explain. These results highlight the importance of investigating whether antiviral drugs used against viruses can potentially reduce the risk of dementia.
