Flu jabs may help reduce dementia, according to Alzheimer’s Association – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With flu season in full swing, the Cleveland chapter of the Alzheimers Association is urging residents to keep their vaccines up to date.

Apart from the protection against influenza -- by either preventing catching the disease or reducing the severity of its impact -- experts now believe the vaccination against flu may have strong benefits in helping prevent the onset of Alzheimers and other dementias.

Annual flu vaccinations offer protection against the flu virus, but we are discovering that they also improve long-term health outcomes, such as reducing our risk for Alzheimers, cardiac arrest and hospitalizations due to diabetes, said Mary Ertle, program director for the Alzheimers Association Cleveland Area and Greater East Ohio chapters.

Flu vaccines may not prevent someone from getting the flu, but they will lessen symptoms and reduce hospitalizations, she said.

Annual flu vaccines protect against four different viruses, based on the strains that are expected to be dominant this season. Some flu seasons are worse than others, depending upon which viruses are circulating.

Ertle added that recent research published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, a study of nearly 2 million participants showed that people who do not get vaccinated against influenza have a 60 percent higher chance of developing Alzheimers or another dementia than people who get their flu shot.

She said it is not clear why the flu vaccine resulted in such a substantial reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimers at this stage, but it is thought that the vaccine might train the immune system to respond to beta-amyloid protein plaques -- a key part of Alzheimers pathology.

Researchers found the protective association between the flu vaccine and the risk of Alzheimers was strongest for those who received their first vaccine at a younger age.

There are 493,000 people caring for 220,000 Ohioans aged 65 and older living with Alzheimers disease, according to the Alzheimers Association.

Those concerned about themselves or a loved one can contact the Alzheimers Association Cleveland Area Chapter at 216-342-5556 to schedule a care consultation and be connected to local resources.

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Flu jabs may help reduce dementia, according to Alzheimer's Association - cleveland.com