Alzheimer's is linked to earlier inflammation

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Exposure to inflammatory disease early in life could quadruple the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
There are various risk factors linked to Alzheimer's disease, including genetics, education level and pre-existing heart disease and stroke. Now a team at the University of Southern California reveals how a history of inflammatory disease could be another risk factor.

They based their work on the Swedish Twin Registry which yielded 109 pairs of identical twins, where only one had been diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. From questionnaires, they learned that a stroke and only a short period of formal education were risk factors for dementia - but not Alzheimer's in particular.

The study also asked about missing or loose teeth, as an indicator of gum disease. This revealed that gum disease, itself a marker of inflammatory burden, can quadruple the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Gum disease has also been linked to heart problems. So all of this suggests the importance of looking after your oral health throughout your life.

Source
Alzheimer's Association meeting 19th June 2005

Please take a moment to give us your comments. For questions about Health matters you may check our "Questions & Answers" Portal and Service.