Severe infections years before dementia linked to higher risk, study finds
A Finnish study of over 65,000 dementia patients found that certain infections, notably cystitis and other bacterial infections treated in hospital, occurred years before dementia and were associated with about a 19% higher rate of late-onset dementia. Even after adjusting for other pre-diagnosis diseases, the link persisted, suggesting severe infections may accelerate cognitive decline, typically appearing about 5 to 6.5 years before diagnosis. The study is observational and cannot prove causation; authors note vaccination and infection prevention might help, but intervention trials are needed.
