Common stomach bug found can raise the risk of Alzheimer’s: study

By Isobel Williams via SWNS

A common stomach bug found in two-thirds of the world population can raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by more than a tenth, a new study has revealed.

New research has found that harboring Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a common bacteria found in the stomach, increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease in people aged 50 and older.

The prevalent infection can trigger indigestion, gastritis, ulcers, and even stomach cancer.

To get their results, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the team studied data from over four million people in the United Kingdom aged 50 and above between 1988 and 2019.

They found that people with symptomatic H. pylori infection had an 11 percent higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

While the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is multifaceted, the findings build upon a growing body of evidence on the potential role of infections in its development.

Given the millions of people affected by this condition globally, the researchers hope that their findings will help healthcare professionals with prevention.

Professor Paul Brassard from McGill University, Canada, said: “Given the global aging population, dementia numbers are expected to triple in the next 40 years.

“However, there remains a lack of effective treatment options for this disease.

“We hope the findings from this investigation will provide insight on the potential role of H. pylori in dementia in order to inform the development of prevention strategies, such as individualized eradication programs, to reduce infections at the population level.”