Flu vaccine may lower Alzheimer’s disease risk in older people

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Scientists from UTHealth in Houston found that influenza vaccination is linked to a reduced Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk among older U.S. adults.

The research is published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and was conducted by Avram S. Bukhbinder et al.

In the study, researchers used deidentified claims data to compare the risk for incident AD between patients (aged 65 years and older) with and without prior influenza vaccination.

They found that 5.1 percent of the flu-vaccinated patients and 8.5 percent of the flu-unvaccinated patients developed AD during a median follow-up of 46 months.

The team says since there is evidence that several vaccines may protect from Alzheimer’s disease, they are thinking that it isn’t a specific effect of the flu vaccine.

Instead, they believe that the immune system is complex, and some alterations, such as pneumonia, may activate it in a way that makes Alzheimer’s disease worse.

But other things that activate the immune system may do so in a different way—one that protects from Alzheimer’s disease.

Clearly, researchers have more to learn about how the immune system worsens or improves outcomes in this disease.

If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about a new way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and medical cannabis can reduce this brain disorder.

For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about 13 things your doctor can check to help protect brain health, and results showing new drug for Alzheimer’s disease prevention is safe and effective.

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