A recent study conducted by a group of scientists revealed that People who are vaccinated against flu have 40% reduced chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease Is a progressive disease and the most common form of dementia.
Let’s know more about the details!
Alzheimer’s Disease- Why is it About?
Alzheimer’s disease Is a type of brain disorder that results in memory loss. This condition usually affects brain parts that are responsible for controlling our thoughts, language and memory processing. The disease is basically progressive in nature and begins with mild symptoms that tend to become severe over time.
This is basically the most common type of dementia and can significantly impact a person’s ability to perform routine tasks. The condition is more common than we think and can involve several factors, said a renowned neurologist at Healthwire.pk in a webinar on Alzheimer’s disease.
Before we talk about the mechanisms involved in Alzheimer’s disease, here are some of the most common signs and symptoms to know about. These include:
- Memory problems
- Having a hard time remembering new information
- Slow Down the thinking process
- Problem remembering the details
- Mood and behavioral changes
- Disorientation
- trouble performing daily life activities
The signs of Alzheimer’s disease can vary from person to person. Zoology said the disease is progressive in nature and means it usually begins with mild symptoms that become severe over time.
Common Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
There are many things that determine a person’s risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Here are some of the common risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease:
- Ageing
- Family history of Alzheimer’s disease
- Head injuries
Some of the Other factors indirectly associated with the causation of Alzheimer’s disease include depression, social isolation, and a sedentary lifestyle. There is no is required in this regard to establish the link between these risk factors and the mechanism involved in the causation of Alzheimer’s disease.
Research on Flu Vaccine and Alzheimer’s Disease
Recently, a study was conducted by Avram S. Bukhbinder, alumni of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Science Centre Houston. The research was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The scientist studied the impact of flu vaccination on the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study targeted a population from all across the US who were 65 years of age or above of age or older patients. A total of 935,887 flu-vaccinated individuals were included in the research against the same number of non-vaccinated individuals.
The study continued for another four years in which only 5.1 % of flu vaccine at individuals were found to be affected with Alzheimer’s disease. In the case of non-vaccinated individuals 8.5% of the sample population was found to develop Alzheimer’s disease
“We found that flu vaccination in older adults reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease for several years. The strength of this protective effect increased with the number of years that a person received an annual flu vaccine—in other words, the rate of developing Alzheimer’s was lowest among those who consistently received the flu vaccine every year,” said Bukhbinder, the scientist who led the research.
The study revealed the effect of the flu vaccine on protection against Alzheimer’s disease. However, there is more research required to fully understand the mechanism involved in this prevention.
“Since there is evidence that several vaccines may protect from Alzheimer’s disease, we are thinking that it isn’t a specific effect of the flu vaccine,” said Schulz, Director of Neurocognitive Disorders Center at McGovern Medical School.
“Instead, we believe that the immune system is complex, and some alterations, such as pneumonia, may activate it in a way that makes Alzheimer’s disease worse. But other things that activate the immune system may do so in a different way—one that protects from Alzheimer’s disease. Clearly, we have more to learn about how the immune system worsens or improves outcomes in this disease.” said Schulz.
Previously many vaccines were found to be effective in minimizing a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these vaccines included polio, tetanus and herpes vaccines and the flu vaccine has entered the list. There is a lot to investigate about these vaccines and their protective effect against the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Future research should assess whether flu vaccination is also associated with the rate of symptom progression in patients who already have Alzheimer’s dementia.” said one of the leading scientists involved in the research.
Bottom Line!
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of mental disorder that is usually characterized by memory loss and difficulty in focusing and remembering that involves multiple factors. Recently, a study has found a link between the flu vaccine and its role in the prevention of asthma disease.
The influenza vaccine was found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 40% among individuals who are 60 years of age or above. However, there is no research required in this regard to fully understand the relationship between vaccines and disease prevention.