COVID linked to Alzheimer's disease risk

COVID-19 has been linked to a significantly increased risk for new-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), a new study suggests.

The study of more than 6 million people aged 65 years or older found a 50%-80% risk for AD in the year after COVID-19; the risk was especially high for women older than 85 years.

These findings point to a potential spike in AD cases, which is a cause for concern.

Earlier studies points to a potential link between COVID-19 and increased risk for AD and Parkinson's disease.

For the current study, researchers analyzed anonymous electronic health records of 6.2 million adults aged 65 years or older who received medical treatment between February 2020 and May 2021 and had no prior diagnosis of AD. The database includes data on almost 30% of the entire US population.

The overall risk for new diagnosis of AD in the COVID-19 cohort was close to double that of those who did not have COVID (0.68% vs 0.35%, respectively).

Risk for AD was elevated in all age groups, regardless of gender or ethnicity.

Source: J Alzheimers Dis. Published online September 13, 2022