Covid Can Raise Risk of Developing 44 Neurological Disorders, Incl. Alzheimer's, New Study Suggests

[appalachiablue]

COVID-19 Can Increase Your Risk of Developing 44 Neurological Disorders, Including Alzheimer’s, New Study Suggests, Fortune, 10.11.22. Ed.

- COVID-19 can impact the risk of developing a host of neurological disorders. -

While long COVID’s impact on people is still being critically studied, new research found that the virus may increase the risk of developing memory problems & even Alzheimer’s in the year after initial infection. “It’s really sobering,” says epidemiologist & researcher on the study Ziyad Al-Aly in an interview with WBUR. “COVID-19 is really not as benign as some people think it is.” The study, conducted by researchers at the Washington Univ. School of Medicine & the VA St. Louis Health Care system using the health care database from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, was published in the journal Nature Medicine last month.

Researchers studied roughly 150,000 people with COVID-19 in comparison to about 11 million people without COVID-19.

In the first year following COVID-19 infection, people had a risk of developing 44 neurological brain disorders beyond brain fog. Some of the conditions Al-Aly noted in the interview were seizures, headaches, anxiety, depression, & Alzheimer’s, and if you’ve had COVID-19 you’re 42% more likely to have other neurological issues the year after initial infection, according to the study. COVID-19 can increase inflammation in the brain and lead to the development of these disorders, he says.

While Alzheimer’s usually takes years to manifest, Al-Aly says it doesn’t just come on directly from COVID-19, but rather impacts those who may be already predisposed to the disorder. “COVID sort of accelerates the development of the disease,” he says to WBUR. “Let’s say a person who is going to have maybe Alzheimer’s at age 80 or 85, and now they’re 60 and all of a sudden they have it at age 61.” It’s still unclear why some people have adverse effects to COVID as opposed to others, but genetics, health background, & the strain of the virus may all play a role.

“We need to take this infection very seriously,” he says. “What we now know is that some of the manifestations of long COVID may actually improve with time but some other manifestations like Alzheimer’s disease…these are lifelong conditions.” Getting vaccinated doesn’t eliminate the chance, but can reduce the risk, of developing long COVID, and “remains the cornerstone of our public health response,” adds Al-Aly, who recommends taking precautionary measures. --

https://fortune.com/well/2022/10/11/covid-19-increase-risk-of-neurological-disorders-alzheimers/

[SheltieLover]

1. Keep masking!

I'm not giving up my N95s anytime soon!

Ty for posting this!

[appalachiablue]

2. Absolutely! I didn't realize there were that many neurological disorders..

[SheltieLover]

3. Me either!

And risks of strokes from blood clots!

[we can do it]

10. !!!

May never stop.

[BigmanPigman]

4. When I went to my neurologist

I asked him what he thinks the effects of Covid will be and he gave me the answer I'd expected, "We won't know for a long time what the long term effects will be". He just shook his head and I shook mine in unison.

I'll keep getting boosted and masked with a tight N95 for a long, long time. I'm looking at the bright side...the Botox injections for daily migraines have made my forehead look wrinkle free as a result but the rest of my face doesn't match. Wearing the N95 hides the bottom half of my face and I don't look like a freak as much.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. I think it's real.

My friend is 65 like me. She's been having serious memory issues lately and changes in her behavior.

While she doesn't believe she's had Covid, she's also lost 15 pounds because she lost her sense of taste.

Her sister and I are concerned -- and now her doctor is concerned. My friend got lost on her way to the doctor yesterday -- 45 minutes while one mile away from the office.

Plus, my friend has a family history of Alzheimer's (grandmother) and had chemo for two different cancers (chemo brain).

Unfortunately, I believe her life is going to change very soon.

[Martin Eden]

6. I came down with Covid the day after my 65th birthday, 4 weeks ago

I'm double vsxxed & double boosted. It started as a cough, not too bad ar first. The chest congestion kept me up the next night, as I tend to hack that gunk up and spit it out. Since then it's been like a chest cold gradually getting better but not entirely gone four weeks later. My energy level is down a little, but otherwise pretty normal.

The potential ongoing covid effects really concern me, especially Alzheimers. My parents passed away in their 60's so there's no history there, but my aunt suffered from it terribly beginning in her mid-80's. I don't have the sharpest memory and feel like I sometimes briefly lose track of where I'm going and why (this pre-dated covid), though my ability to do my job (fairly technical and conceptual) is not impaired.

Damn this insidious disease! I'm hoping to retire in less than two years and looking forward to enjoying what remains of my life afterwards with traveling and hiking. I fear this pernicious virus will take that away from me and millions of others.

[samplegirl]

7. We have both had

five shots total and dodged Covid till now.
Went to my first fundraiser for the party and now we both have it.
Still feel crappy a week in. Worried too.

[Manfred Arcane]

8. I believe loss of sense of taste/smell...

can be a symptom of some forms of dementia. This is independent of any loss of taste/smell which can result from COVID. See here for example.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Wow! Thanks!

[Skittles]

11. yet people are not masking and acting as if covid is over

stupid, stupid, stupid

[Sanity Claws]

12. I will resume masking

I had stopped a month or two ago when the MTA lifted the requirement on subways and buses.