Covid. And the highest risk was observed in women at least 85 years old. However, the researchers say it is unclear whether Covid-19 triggers new development of Alzheimer's disease or accelerates its emergence.
The research team analyzed the anonymous electronic health records of 6.2 million adults 65 and older in the United States who received medical treatment between February 2020 and May 2021 and had no prior diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
They then divided this population into two groups: one composed of people who contracted Covid-19 during that period, and another with people who had no documented cases of Covid-19.
More than 400,000 people were enrolled in the Covid study group, while 5.8 million were in the non-infected group. "If this increase in new diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease is sustained, the wave of patients with a disease currently without a cure will be substantial, and could further strain our long-term care resources," Pamela Davis, the study's coauthor said.