Weirdly, It Appears the Flu Vaccine May Protect Against Alzheimer's

People over the age of 65 are less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease if they get a flu shot.

We don't know if it's the flu vaccine that causes Alzheimer's or if it's something else, but the research is definitely pointing that way.

In a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, UTHealth Houston compared the incidence rate of the disease in patients with and without at least one flu vaccine in a nationwide sample of US adults.

Considering how much time and effort is being invested in slowing down and reversing the disease, the results are interesting. In comparison to unvaccinated patients, 5.1 percent of those with prior flu vaccinations developed Alzheimer's.

The flu vaccine reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease for several years, according to Avram Bukhbinder, a recent UTHealth Houston graduate. The rate of Alzheimer's was lowest among those who received the flu vaccine every year, because the strength of the protective effect increased with the number of years that a person received an annual flu vaccine.

The rate of symptom progression in patients with Alzheimer's dementia should be assessed in the future.

If there are any underlying mechanisms, the researchers don't know what they are.

There is evidence that several vaccines may protect from Alzheimer's disease, and we think that it isn't a specific effect of the flu vaccine. We believe that the immune system is complex and that some alterations, such as pneumonia, may make it worse.

There may be more than one reason.

He said that something that stimulates the immune system may also protect against Alzheimer's disease.

It's an interesting blip in the data that needs a lot of future research.

We have more to learn about how the immune system is affected by this disease.

A UTHealth Houston study shows that flu vaccine reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

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