NEW DELHI: Older adults infected with Covid-19 are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease within a year, according to a new study. The study, carried out on more than six million patients aged 65 and older, said that the risk increases by 50 per cent to 80 per cent in these people. The highest risk was, however, observed in women who were aged 85 years old.
The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, said that it is unclear whether COVID-19 triggers new development of Alzheimer’s disease or accelerates its emergence.“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,” said Pamela Davis, Distinguished University Professor and The Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, the study’s co-author.
“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-19 could lead to increased diagnoses,” she added.