Good Lifestyle

As a child or young adults, most people come into contact with the virus that causes cold pimples, the type 1 herpes virus (HSV-1). After the first infection, the virus remains in the body for life, hiding quietly in the nerves - but scientists have discovered that this same virus can also be linked to something much more serious: Alzheimer's disease.

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Research suggests that the virus that causes cold buttons could increase the risk of Alzheimer by 80% in some people.

More than 30 years ago, a team of scientists discovered that the HSV-1 could be found in the brain of the elderly, a surprise because many thought that the brain was protected from germs thanks to the blood-brain barrier. Now, a researcher from this same team announced this summer That people with a particular risk of Alzheimer's Alzheimer's, a gene called APOE-E4, present a risk that is much larger if they have also been infected with HSV-1.

To test the theory, the team studied brain cells That they had infected by the virus and determined that these cells developed with amyloid and tau, abnormal proteins found in the brain of people with Alzheimer's. They have theorized that the virus remains asleep in the body for many years, but as people age and that their immune system is weakening, the virus can wake up in the brain. When this is the case, it can damage brain cells and cause swelling, which could lead to Alzheimer's in some people.

Researchers also found the DNA of the virus inside the clusters of sticky protein in the brain of Alzheimer. When scientists have used antiviral drugs in the laboratory, damage has been reduced, which suggests that medicine could one day help slow or even prevent disease.

A BMJ 2025 study arrived at similar conclusions. This suggests that people who have had a previous case of HSV-1 are 80% more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease Later in life, even after having controlled risk factors such as the transport of two copies of the APOE4 gene.

To assess the role of the HSV-1, the researchers brought together medical records of more than 300,000 people aged 50 and over in two uniformly divided cohorts: those who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and those who had not done so. They found that 1,507 (0.44%) people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease had previously experienced an HSV-1 infection, against 823 (0.22%) people who had not been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

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Medicines and vaccines could limit the risk.

Making information from BMJ researchers, they also determined that people who had taken medication to treat their HSV-1 infection was 17% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who did not do so.

Researchers have also examined the shingle virus, which is used to treat another herpesvirus: the chicken-zona virus (VZV). Although the vaccine is not used to prevent HSV-1, they saw the relevance in the fact that people who obtained the shingle vaccine were less likely to obtain dementia later.

As Best life previously reported , a study in 2025 published in the journal Nature found that people who received the zostavax vaccine (an older version than what is currently offered today) were 20% less likely to develop dementia in the next seven years than those who have not been lucky.

The prevention of the propagation of the HSV-1 is a challenge because it is very common and is often propagated by saliva, but you can take measures to reduce your risk. To avoid infections, avoid narrow contacts, in particular oral or sexual contacts, with someone who has an active epidemic of oral or genital wounds.

And, if you TO DO Contract HSV-1, tell your doctor to know if the treatment could suit you. Not only will it accelerate the healing of your cold pain, but it could also protect your brain for the years to come.