Infectious Theory of Alzheimer's Disease Draws Fresh Interest

Infectious Theory of Alzheimer's Disease Draws Fresh Interest
npr.org

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17446016

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17540512

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17540094 (this is the parent link for the antiviral risk reduction study -- a good read, comments and source article)

There's a decent amount of reading when scholar-googling:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=hsv1+alzheimers

I can't find it now, but there's also a past HN discussion about a week prior to the HSV/HHV causative study that points to the function of beta-amyloid as potentially to tangle and disable Herpes in the brain, leading one to believe that β-Amyloid overproduction and its associated side-effects may potentially be a trade for substantially longer life and a slower passing versus a more immediate exit through e.g. encephalitis from an active infection.

https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(18)30526-9 (study link)

There's also research pointing to sleep's function as helping clear out plaques such as beta-amyloid.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16026655

Finally, there's at least a bit of research pointing to boosted susceptibility of herpes viral infections when carrying ApoE4:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=hsv1+apoe4

The novel conclusion from all of this, which I suspect is being actively investigated, is that there's a potentially complicated interplay of an enhanced viral infection (HSV/HHV enabled by ApoE4) + evolutionary defense going into overdrive (β-Amyloid) + sleep deprivation keeping the body from clearing out the residue -> disease.

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I'm particularly motivated to track this research because of its prevalence in my family background and because, from what I can tell, I've thus far managed to avoid the environmental trigger-pull. I can already tell you I'll probably go on (val)acyclovir lifetime if I'm ever diagnosed with any particular strain, as it looks like active infection, with outbreaks, is what's likely to act as the first domino to tip.

I believe there's also a difference in outbreak rates in people who have ApoE4 v. people who don't, but I shouldn't be quoted on that. But you're right in asking, and the answer is probably to go to a doctor if you see new sores and get on the antivirals if you're diagnosed.

In the US, the government (and thus society at large) bears much of the cost:

http://act.alz.org/site/DocServer/2012_Costs_Fact_Sheet_vers...

Valacyclovir is brand-named Valtrex. Basically, if you're ever diagnosed with herpes of any variant, you should ask your doctor about what to expect if you go on Valacyclovir to ward off recurring outbreaks. If those side effects don't sound disagreeable to you v. the possible mitigation of dementia/alzheimer's, then it might make sense to go on it.

The risk reduction study (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322463.php) focused on a population which had specifically been diagnosed.