Vx & Alzheimers

[Guest guest]

In searching to disprove a connection between vaccines & Alzheimers the

researchers conveniently overlooked the flu vaccine. Not content to

disprove a connection the researchers actually reported DTP and Polio

vaccines actually seem to " protect " against Alzheimers. Of course the

headlines don't mention this is based on surveys self-reported by people

who were diagnosed with Alzheimers within five years. I suppose these

researchers next study will show we shouldn't name our sons Napoleon or

Jesus because people going by these names are more likely to suffer

delusions!

Cheryl, shaking her head wondering where all the sane people are hiding

*******

No link between past vaccines and Alzheimer's

NEW YORK, Dec 27 (Reuters Health) - Vaccinations commonly given in

childhood to fight off polio, tetanus and diphtheria do not increase a

person's risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by

Canadian researchers.

In fact, the study published in a recent issue of the Canadian Medical

Association Journal suggests that those who receive one or all of the

vaccines may be less likely to develop the memory-robbing ailment. However,

it is not clear if the link is due to a healthier lifestyle or some other

factor associated with vaccine use, rather than the vaccines themselves.

" It has been suggested that changes to the immune system could be a factor

in age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, " write lead author

Dr. Rene Verreault of Laval University in Beauport, Quebec and colleagues.

" Our objective was to examine the association between past exposure to

conventional vaccines and risk of Alzheimer's disease. "

In the study, the team of researchers looked at nearly 4,000 healthy

patients who answered a number of questions, including some about vaccines

they had been given in the past. After five years, the researchers compared

183 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in that time period with

3,682 similarly aged healthy adults who did not develop the disease.

" For each type of vaccine, subjects who reported at least one vaccination

were at lower risk for Alzheimer's disease than those who had never been

exposed, after adjustment for age, sex, and education, " the authors write.

People who received the tetanus or diphtheria vaccine were 60% less likely

to develop Alzheimer's while those who had the polio vaccine were 40% less

likely to develop Alzheimer's.

Verreault and colleagues note that " it might also be argued that exposure

to vaccines is only indirectly associated with Alzheimer's disease, as a

potential marker of a healthy lifestyle. "

It's also possible that the elderly study participants did not accurately

recall the types of vaccines they had in childhood, the authors note. The

researchers call for more studies to confirm their findings.

Alzheimer's, which affects about four million Americans, starts with memory

loss and progresses to profound dementia and death. There is no cure,

although there are a few drugs that provide temporary relief for some

symptoms of the disease.

SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal 2001;165:1495-1498.

Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or

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