https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/03/17/do-viruses-trigger-alzheimers The Economist The Economist Try for free --------------------------------------------------------------------- Enterprise --------------------------------------------------------------------- Log in --------------------------------------------------------------------- Menu The Economist The Economist Skip to content Try for free --------------------------------------------------------------------- Enterprise --------------------------------------------------------------------- Log in --------------------------------------------------------------------- Menu --------------------------------------------------------------------- [ ] --------------------------------------------------------------------- [20250123_drp045] The world in brief Catch up on global daily news [20250123_drp050] 1843 magazine Dive into compelling long reads [20250123_drp046] Podcasts Tune into engaging conversations [20250123_drp044] Video Watch engaging short films [20250123_drp048] Digital events Gain insights from experts [20250123_drp047] Newsletters Curated news, direct to your inbox Current topics * War in the Middle East * War in Ukraine * The World Ahead 2025 * Climate change * Geopolitics * The world economy * Artificial intelligence * Trump approval tracker Current topics * War in the Middle East * War in Ukraine * The World Ahead 2025 * Climate change * Geopolitics * The world economy * Artificial intelligence * Trump approval tracker World World * The world this week * China * United States * Europe * Britain * Middle East * Africa * Asia * The Americas * International Business & economics Business & economics * Finance & economics * Business * Big Mac index * Economic & financial indicators Opinion Opinion * Leaders * Letters to the editor * By Invitation In depth In depth * Science & technology * Briefing * Graphic detail * Interactives * The Economist explains * Special reports * Technology Quarterly * Essay * Schools brief Culture & society Culture & society * Culture * The Economist reads * Obituary Weekly edition Weekly edition * This week * Past editions Our A-to-Zs Our A-to-Zs * Economics * American politics * Military terms * International relations * Weekly edition * The world in brief * War in the Middle East * War in Ukraine * United States * The world economy * Business * Artificial intelligence * Archive 1945 * Mini crossword My Economist --------------------------------------------------------------------- Unlimited digital access to all reporting, podcasts, newsletters and events Try for free --------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS * Podcasts * Newsletters * Video * Live virtual events * The Economist app * Espresso app * Saved stories SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS * Podcasts * Newsletters * Video * Live virtual events * The Economist app * Espresso app * Saved stories --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Account * Log out * Account * Log out Science & technology | Going viral Do viruses trigger Alzheimer's? A growing group of scientists think so, and are asking whether antivirals could treat the disease An illustration of the profile of a woman with virus shapes around her. This is about the link between Alzheimer's and viruses. Illustration: Vartika Sharma Mar 17th 2025 Share In the summer of 2024 several groups of scientists published a curious finding: people vaccinated against shingles were less likely to develop dementia than their unvaccinated peers. Two of the papers came from the lab of Pascal Geldsetzer at Stanford University. Analysing medical records from Britain and Australia, the researchers concluded that around a fifth of dementia diagnoses could be averted through the original shingles vaccine, which contains live varicella-zoster virus. Two other studies, one by GSK, a pharmaceutical company, and another by a group of academics in Britain, also reported that a newer "recombinant" vaccine, which is more effective at preventing shingles than the live version, appeared to confer even greater protection against dementia. Explore more Science & technologyHealth careScience This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "A viral hypothesis" --------------------------------------------------------------------- Science & technology March 22nd 2025 * -Do viruses trigger Alzheimer's? * -Why don't seals drown? * -Rumours on social media could cause sick people to feel worse * -Can people be persuaded not to believe disinformation? * -What is the best way to keep your teeth healthy? [20250322_DE_US] From the March 22nd 2025 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents =Explore the edition Share Reuse this content --------------------------------------------------------------------- More from Science & technology Illustration of a vape cigarette turned into a regular cigarette at the bottom. The vape has a stub. How harmful are electronic cigarettes? The risks of vaping may be worth the benefits Grey seals play underwater Why don't seals drown? They can time their dives to match their blood oxygen --------------------------------------------------------------------- Illustration of a person holding their with the side effects of 5G displayed on the screen. Rumours on social media could cause sick people to feel worse They are powerful triggers of an inverse placebo effect --------------------------------------------------------------------- Can people be persuaded not to believe disinformation? AI chatbots and critical thinking courses might help What is the best way to keep your teeth healthy? Tooth-brushing reigns supreme. But fluoride in tap water is a good safety net Ukraine's embrace of drone warfare has paid off Two new reports highlight strengths as well as weaknesses --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * * * Get The Economist app on iOS or Android --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Economist The Economist * About * Reuse our content * Subscribe * Economist Enterprise * SecureDrop The Economist Group The Economist Group * The Economist Group * Economist Intelligence * Economist Impact * Economist Impact Events * Economist Education Courses Contact Contact * Help and support * Advertise * Press centre Careers Careers * Working here * Executive Jobs --------------------------------------------------------------------- To enhance your experience and ensure our website runs smoothly, we use cookies and similar technologies. 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