Infection and Inflammation in Neurodegenerative Conditions

Increased levels of chronic inflammation accompany aging, and this drives faster progression of a range of age-related conditions, spurring greater damage and loss of function in tissues. Researchers here ask to what degree this is due to opportunistic infections and a weakened immune system rather than being caused by the more general dysfunction and overactivation of the aged immune system that would occur even absent such infections, the state known as inflammaging. Like many such investigations, this serves to emphasize the need for effective means to rejuvenate the age-damaged immune system, such as through clearing and recreating immune cell populations, restoring the thymus to youthful levels of activity, or replacing blood stem cells. The immune system undergoes many changes with age that leaves the elderly more susceptible to infection, indeed older individuals are more vulnerable to bacterial or viral infections of the urinary or respiratory tract, with influenza-related morbidity also increased in this group. Sepsis, which is caused by severe infection, can also lead to permanent cognitive dysfunction, particularly in older individuals. Importantly, infectious burden in the elderly is associated with mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores below 24, which indicate dementia. Unfortunately, the symptoms of infection often present atypically in this group and, as dementia patients are often unable to communicate their symptoms, diagnosis is difficult. To ...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs