Dementia – a condition that describes the state of a person’s mental function affects nearly one in 10 older adults in the US, impacting millions across the world. Studies say common infections increase the risk of dementia later in life, raising questions about how infections contribute to cognitive decline and what can be done to mitigate this risk.

The study, published in the journal Nature Aging analyzed data from nearly 1000 participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Scientists tracked the brain volumes of participants and infection histories and found that six infections were associated with greater brain volume loss.

These infections include influenza, herpes viruses, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, skin infections, and miscellaneous viral infections are among the infections linked to increased dementia risk. Flu and herpes infections showed specific links to brain volume loss in the temporal lobe, which is crucial for memory.

According to the experts, researchers analyzed data from nearly 500,000 people in the UK Biobank and more than 270,000 people in Finland. Researchers said those with a history of infection were linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Those who had a history of infections also showed changes in 260 immune-related proteins, with 35 specifically linked to changes in brain volume.

“Our findings support the role of infections in dementia risk and identify molecular mediators by which infections may contribute to neurodegeneration,” the researchers wrote in the study.

According to experts, there are many reasons why infection increases the risk of dementia causing prolonged hospitalizations, sepsis, and delirium, which increase the risk of cognitive decline. These also trigger a systemic inflammatory and immune response in the body, which has the potential to impact brain health.

A mild infection may not trigger as great of an inflammatory or immune response that would affect protein expression leading to neurodegeneration.

Experts say even though it is not clear, being up-to-date on vaccines can prevent dementia. However, routine vaccinations help avoid severe illnesses from common infections, which also decreases the long-term risk of developing dementia or cognitive decline.

Severe infections also cause collateral damage to brain cells so getting the recommended vaccines is important for preserving your overall health.

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