A current, large-scale study from Denmark shows how Covid-19 affects the incidence of neurological diseases. According to the study, Covid-19 patients have a higher risk of Alzheimer's than people who were Corona-negative.
The study on the long-term effects of COVID-19 analyzed the electronic health records of nearly 920,000 Danish men and women aged 18 and over, living in the region around the capital Copenhagen and in the region of Zealand. During the study period from February 2018 to November 2021, 43,375 people tested positive.
Diverse neurological disorders
The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of Covid-19 on neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's disease, and stroke. The statistical analyses showed: Compared to people who tested negative, Covid-19 positive patients had a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's both six and 12 months after a positive test result. For example, the disease occurred 3.4 times more often after 12 months. The researchers arrived at similar results when comparing other neurological diseases. The risk of developing Parkinson's, for example, was 2.2 times higher. People who contracted Covid-19 also more frequently suffered from a so-called ischemic stroke compared to the frequency caused by a lack of blood flow.
Delirium can be a trigger
“Bemerkenswert ist, dass COVID-19-positive Personen im Vergleich zu COVID-negativen Personen häufiger ein Delirium, einen unabhängigen Risikofaktor für Demenz, aufwiesen”, schreiben die Wissenschaftler*innen. Sie kamen außerdem zu dem Schluss: Müdigkeit, Depression und Angstzustände nach einer COVID-19-Infektion können ebenfalls zur Entwicklung neurodegenerativer Erkrankungen beitragen. Auch die Influenza-Grippe und bakteriell verursachte Lungenentzündungen erhöhen das Risiko für schwere neurologische Folgeerkrankungen.
Hier geht’s zur Studie:
Frequency of Neurological Diseases After COVID-19, Influenza A/B, and Bacterial Pneumonia.
