Link Between Alzheimer’s and Herpes

Re:Link Between Alzheimer’s and Herpes by walrus01 on Saturday July 14, 2018 @03:25AM (#17529259)

There is pretty good research that shows people who remain engaged in mentally challenging activities past age 65 have a lower rate of Alzheimers. Whether it's playing chess, engaging in some technically complicated hobby like large-scale model trains, studying art history, whatever.

I've seen studies that show a strong parallel between people who are passive media consumers and don't self-identify in surveys as doing anything that exerts themselves mentally, and the rate of alzheimers.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Link Between Alzheimer’s and Herpes by iforgotpassword on Saturday July 14, 2018 @03:35AM (#17529284)

But that sounds like one of those observations where you don't know what's the cause and what's the result.

Alzheimer's starts slowly and can go for quite some time before being diagnosed. But during that time, things like playing chess could already become more difficult and less pleasing so you just don't do that and resort to watching TV.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Link Between Alzheimer’s and Herpes by walrus01 on Saturday July 14, 2018 @03:38AM (#17529295)

The studies I've seen were specifically tracking people who've been doing "mentally taxing" activities as part of a long term lifestyle choice, before the typical onset age. As compared to people who self-identified as not doing anything mentally taxing in the last N years.

[ Parent | on HN ]