Alzheimer Persons on Antibiotics Experience Frequent hospitalisation
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows Persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) experience frequent hospitalisation once on antibiotics.
The risk of hospitalisation the study found was 40 per cent higher for persons with Alzheimer’s disease as contained in the findings recently published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Out of individual antibiotics, persons with Alzheimer’s disease were more often hospitalized than people without AD after the initiation of Cephalexine, Pivmecillinam, Amoxicillin and Doxycycline, the study revealed.
Hospitalization of such persons, it was found, was associated with pre-existing illnesses, such as epilepsy or cancer, and certain medications, such as antipsychotic and benzodiazepine use.
The Finland study used data from a Finnish register-based cohort, which includes all persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in Finland during 2005–2011. The researchers analysed 34,785 persons who used antibiotics in an outpatient setting after their Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, and their comparison persons matched according to age, sex and region of residence.
But previous studies have shown that infections are a significant cause of hospitalization in persons with dementia. This study is the first to document hospitalization after antibiotic initiation.
These results confirm the role of infections as a cause of hospitalization in persons with Alzheimer’s disease.
According to Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment.
Simply, Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.
10 Early Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life: One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in the early stage, is forgetting recently learned information.
- Challenges in planning or solving problems: Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers.
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure: People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks.
- Confusion with time or place: People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time.
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships: For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s.
- New problems with words in speaking or writing: People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation.
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps: A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places.
- Decreased or poor judgment: People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision-making.
- Withdrawal from work or social activities: A person with Alzheimer’s may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports.
- Changes in mood and personality: The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer’s can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious.