A recent study from the USA gives cause for hope: regular vaccinations could counteract dementia.
Every year around 330,000 people develop dementia.
Now a new study from the USA gives reason for hope.
Up to
twelve percent could be saved from the diagnosis of dementia
- with regular flu vaccinations.
The results of the study were published by the German Society for Neurology.
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Reduced risk of dementia: study from the USA gives hope
Over 120,000 US veterans were examined in a retrospective study: 96.2 percent men, 3.8 percent women.
The mean age was 75.5 years.
The study participants were followed for 10 years, between 2009 and 2019.
Before starting, it was ensured that there was no diagnosed dementia.
In the end, it was observed how many and which people - depending on the number of their flu vaccinations - newly developed dementia.
The 80 months of observation showed: Almost 16,000 study participants were newly diagnosed with dementia.
People who received
more than six flu vaccinations during the period have a
twelve percent lower risk of
developing dementia - compared to people who received less or no vaccinations.
Also read:
The air also plays a role: These twelve factors favor dementia.
Can flu vaccinations prevent dementia?
That is why further studies are required
How exactly is Alzheimer's disease triggered?
By the deposition and accumulation of
beta amyloid between nerve cells
.
The US study data suggests that flu vaccinations may help break down beta-amyloid.
This would be a
breakthrough for dementia therapy
.
However, the current study is a retrospective evaluation that has no evidence but can only show an association, as DGN dementia expert Prof. Dr.
Dodel emphasizes.
Further prospective studies are needed to unambiguously clarify the connection.
