Herpes Simplex Viral Infection Doubles the Risk of Dementia in a Contemporary Cohort of Older Adults: A Prospective Study.

Background: Evidence indicates that herpes simplex virus (HSV) participates in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: We investigated AD and dementia risks according to the presence of herpesvirus antibodies in relation to anti-herpesvirus treatment and potential APOE ɛ4 carriership interaction.

Methods: This study was conducted with 1002 dementia-free 70-year-olds living in Sweden in 2001-2005 who were followed for 15 years.