Caused by gum disease? This is huge, if true. A vaccine against both gum disease and Alzheimer’s would be an amazing health breakthrough.
[Friday-afternoon update]
Oh, well…
.@newscientist: This headline is irresponsible. The study was performed mostly in mice, and the evidence in humans is indirect and flimsy. https://t.co/B2GmKAgSmt
— Nsikan Akpan (@MoNscience) January 25, 2019
And much earlier detection:
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2019/01/blood-test-detects-rate-of-brain-cell-death-from-alzheimers-up-to-16-years-before-signs-of-dementia.html#more-153910
It is also notable that one of the main causes of gum disease is surging increases in dietary sugar and in blood sugar over the last 200 years. If Alzheimers ends up being a derivative public health problem dwarfing the already high costs of dental problems, then the sugar industry will take it in the neck, …and should!
Tom, there is some thought that Alzheimers should be called Type 3 diabetes.
Correct! Though we must admit that with this set of data, the link may not be as direct as originally implied when that was first spoken. Of course, with an effect like Alzhiemers, there may be more than one pathway of causation.
I went through 10 years watching my Mother die of Alzhiemers, and have no desire to experience if for myself. Yes, both she and I have had bad tooth problems.
New Scientist is not the most credible source.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/01/gum-disease-causing-bacteria-could-spur-alzheimer-s
The mere idea that you have an ongoing long term bacterial infection in your gums, mere inches from you brain, should give anyone cause for concern. What happens if it breeches the barrier and gets into the bloodstream?