Several common infections have been associated with memory problems in older adults, according to a study from the University of Miami and Columbia University in New York City covered by HealthDay.
Researchers tested the cognitive functions for nearly 600 adults with an average age of 71. Participants' exposure to C. pneumoniae, H. pylori, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 was also assessed.
Five years later, the researchers measured cognitive abilities in the participants. When controlling for other factors, those with higher blood antibody levels for the screened pathogens had poorer executive function and language performance on the cognitive battery.
Researchers stressed the results are preliminary, having not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
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