SECRET WEAPON
Vaccine discovered 100 years ago could be ‘cheap and effective’ way to protect against Alzheimer’s
Plus, all the ways you can keep your brain healthy
A LIFESAVING vaccine used to combat tuberculosis (TB) could soon be used to reduce the risk of dementia.
The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) jab has been used for over eight decades to protect children against the deadly Victorian disease.
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Although the vaccine was primarily developed to fight TB, scientists have discovered it can help the body fend off and treat other illnesses, including bladder cancer.
Scientists now believe the 100-year-old shot could reduce inflammation in the brain, a precursor for dementia.
More than 900,000 Brits have dementia, and this is set to rise beyond a million by 2025.
Alzheimer’s disease is by far the most common form, accounting for about 60 to 70 per cent of cases.
Read more on dementia
There is currently no cure or way of slowing the fatal disease, which robs sufferers of their memory, intelligence and physical strength.
In the past two years, two new drugs called lecanemab and donanemab have shown breakthrough success in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Experts say approval and NHS rollout is still in doubt because of fears about serious side effects.
The new revelation about the old jab emerged during a 2019 study which analysed the health data of 1,371 people who had or had not received BCG as part of their treatment for bladder cancer
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Scientists from found that just 2.4 per cent of the patients treated with BCG developed Alzheimer’s over the following eight years, compared with 8.9 per cent of those not given the vaccine.
Since the results were published some years ago, other researchers have replicated the findings.
Health Explainer: 'Victorian Diseases'
'It wins the cost-effectiveness contest'
In 2023, a team from examined the medical records of about 6,500 bladder cancer patients.
After tracking them for 15 years, scientists found those who had the BCG vaccine were 20 per cent less likely to develop dementia than those who had never had it.
Marc Weinberg, who researches Alzheimer’s at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said the jab could provide a cheap and effective way to boost the immune system and protect people against the brain-eating condition.
He told the : "The BCG vaccine is safe and globally accessible.
“It wins the cost-effectiveness contest hands down.”
One theory for why BCG might stave off Alzheimer's is that it retrains the immune system.
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It does this by bolstering the body’s defence and keeping pathogens at bay before they reach the brain.
It could also prompt the brain’s immune cells to clear away amyloid beta proteins, which are known to build up in the brains of people with dementia.
How to reduce your risk of dementia
Experts agree that what's good for your heart is also good for your brain.
This means you can help reduce your risk of dementia by:
- Eating a balanced diet (which includes five portions of fruit and veg per day)
- Maintaining a healthy weight (a BMI score of between 18.5 and 24.9)
- Exercising regularly (at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week)
- Keeping alcohol within recommended limits
- Stopping smoking
- Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level (between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg)
Source: NHS
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