Genital herpes linked to accelerated brain shrinkage

Health

People who tested positive for the virus behind genital herpes tended to have reduced thickness of their outermost brain layer, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease

By Alice Klein

Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), which causes genital herpes, burrows into nerves that connect to the brain

JAMES CAVALLINI / BSIP / Alamy

Genital herpes has been linked to brain shrinkage, which suggests the infection could increase the risk of cognitive decline and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Jose Gutierrez at Columbia University in New York and his colleagues analysed the MRI brain scans and blood test results of 455 adults, aged 70 on average, who took part in a long-term health-tracking study in Manhattan.

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