The researchers compared the medical data of patients who had been diagnosed positive (400,000) with those who were not infected (5.8 million). It appears that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in the year following infection with Covid-19 is almost doubled compared to the control group (0.68% once morest 0.35%). But the study does not make it possible to know whether these are new cases of Alzheimer’s or whether Covid-19 is accelerating the emergence of a pre-existing disease.
Commenting on the study, Pamela B. Davis explains that doctors seek to reduce the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease by acting on certain risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity or a sedentary lifestyle, but today very many Americans have been infected by Covid-19, and the long-term consequences of this are only gradually becoming apparent. This is why it is important to continue to monitor the impact of this disease. The increase in the number of patients for whom there is currently no treatment might be very significant, “this might put a strain on our long-term care resources“, she concludes.
