2024-01-30 01:13:05
One of the diseases most feared by humanity is Alzheimer’s and now science and 5 cases would explain how Alzheimer’s is “spread.”
How is Alzheimer’s transmitted?
For the first time in the history of medicine, an article has described the only 5 cases in history in which Alzheimer’s developed “by contagion.”
According to the article published by the specialized magazine Nature5 individuals were treated during their childhood with growth hormone treatment to modify their height.
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This therapy consisted of extracting growth hormones from the pituitary gland of corpses to later be injected into patients who desired it.
This practice stopped in the mid-1980s, when experts detected that abnormal proteins that are responsible for diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, better known as “mad cow disease,” could be transmitted.
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What happened to the patients who received growth hormone from cadavers?
According to the same article, the 5 cases of patients who received growth hormone treatment began to present neurological symptoms typical of Alzheimer’s when they were between 38 and 55 years of age.
As it was an early period to present Alzheimer’s, the researchers looked to see if the patients had any genetic predisposition or trigger that could cause this disease, finding that the only thing they had in common was having received growth hormone therapies when they were children.
Furthermore, his genetic and neurological structure did not demonstrate factors that could trigger early Alzheimer’s, as in other patients.
The above would be the first sample of cases in which the Alzheimer was infected by accident, because during the insertion of growth hormonesthese patients also received the beta-amyloid protein, responsible for developing Alzheimer’s.
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What are the causes of Alzheimer’s?
Despite the surprising finding, the researchers firmly concluded that this would be the only route of transmission of Alzheimer’s.
In other words, there is no evidence to support that Alzheimer’s can be transmitted by contact or by spending too much time with a patient who has this condition.
According to Mayo ClinicIn colloquial terms, Alzheimer’s is caused when brain proteins do not function normally, interrupting the work of neurons, causing them to be damaged and eventually die.
The causes of this have not been entirely clear, however, it is believed that risk factors include age, family history, genetics, mild cognitive impairment, or some other condition (such as Down syndrome).
It is also believed that factors such as head trauma, air pollution, excessive alcohol consumption, poor sleep hygiene and lifestyle could also influence a person to develop Alzheimer’s.
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How long does someone live with Alzheimer’s?
On average, a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can live 4 to 8 years after diagnosis, but some people can survive for more than a decade.
In the advanced stages of the disease, the ability to carry out daily activities is significantly compromised, which may require constant attention and care.
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