Valacyclovir?
So, if I understand correctly, he thinks herpes simplex virus is causing Alzheimer’s disease?
If so, I have no problem with that since there have been no positive results for preventing Alzheimer’s disease by pursuing amyloid plaque prevention.
However, I think his theory is very problematic. “It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults have been infected with the HSV-1 virus. Many people with the infection do not ever show symptoms.”
"The percentage of people with Alzheimer’s increases with age: 5% of people age 65 to 74, 13% of people age 75-84, and 33% of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia.
(33% of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s dementia. That is a scary number!)
If we believe his theory, we could take a herpes simplex virus test that is used to measure the herpes antibodies to detect a previous infection of herpes. It is a cheap test.
To my knowledge, maybe my memory is faulty, I have never had a herpes infection. Never had a cold sore, etc. If so, I would be one of the lucky 10%.
“It is estimated that nearly 90 percent of U.S. adults have been infected with the HSV-1 virus. Many people with the infection do not ever show symptoms.”
It appears that you can suppress it if you get it, but it is never gone.
Chances are that I have it, but never had any symptoms.
I think I will get the test for curiosity’s sake.
I am not keen to start taking valacyclovir because it potentially causes kidney problems and is more problematic with older people. It is also not recommended to take it with NSAIDs.
Apparently, it is safe for most people: “Valacyclovir is an extremely well studied medication, with a huge amount of scientific evidence to back up its efficacy and safety record. It’s used to treat people of all ages, from children that suffer from chickenpox to adults with cold sores and recurrent genital herpes.”
