Can Some Vaccines Reduce Your Alzheimer's Risk?

WebMD reports that researchers are exploring the possibility of certain vaccines reducing people's risk for Alzheimer's disease, after learning that flu and pneumonia vaccines also might shield against related memory loss. Duke University Social Science Research Institute Professor Svetlana Ukraintseva looked into a possible connection between the pneumonia vaccine and Alzheimer's in a study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Her team determined that receiving the vaccine between ages 65 and 75 lowered the risk of Alzheimer's disease by up to 30 percent, which increased to 40 percent in people who did not carry a specific Alzheimer's genetic risk factor. They are now investigating the effects of vaccines on Alzheimer's disease on a larger cohort, with plans to consider whether other vaccines might enhance immunity and protect against Alzheimer's. "So we can compare not only how several different vaccines affect Alzheimer's disease, but also several different infectious diseases," Ukraintseva explains. Another study determined that people who received one or more flu vaccines were 17 percent less likely to get Alzheimer's disease, while those who got their shot more often saw an additional 13 percent reduction in risk. Albert Amran at the University of Texas Health Science Center suggests simply preventing the viral infection itself may ward off neurological complications.