Study Links Herpes Virus to Higher Alzheimer's Risk; Antiviral Drugs Show Promise

By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D.

New research using US insurance data finds that people with HSV-1 face greater odds of Alzheimer’s disease, and suggests antiviral medications could help lower that risk.

Study: Association between herpes simplex virus type 1 and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease: a retrospective case–control study .Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock

Extensive U.S. real-world data bolsters the link between herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), suggesting that antiviral treatments targeting HSV-1 might offer protection against AD and associated dementias.

A recent BMJ Open study from the United States investigated the association between HSV-1 and AD using RWD.

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