Could herpes virus help cause alzheimer's?

(HealthDay)—There's growing evidence that the herpes virus responsible for cold sores also may cause Alzheimer's disease, a new research paper contends.
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It's been long known that herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) can been found in the brains of elderly people with Alzheimer's disease, and research has shown that herpes increases Alzheimer's risk in people genetically predisposed to dementia, said researcher Ruth Itzhaki.

Newer data suggest that treating people with antiviral drugs might actually protect them from dementia, said Itzhaki, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Manchester in England.

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October 19, 2018 by Dennis Thompson, Healthday Reporter​

​More Evidence Herpes Virus Strongly Tied to Alzheimer's
Pauline Anderson
October 19, 2018

Two of the studies investigated varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in relation to long-term neurocognitive changes and development of dementia. VZV causes chickenpox. After acute infection, it remains in the body in latent form, and in some individuals, it reactivates later, causing shingles.
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STUDY:
Anti-herpetic Medications and Reduced Risk of Dementia in Patients with Herpes Simplex Virus Infections—a Nationwide, Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan​
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