Health Tip of the Week, sponsored by Baton Rouge General: Annual flu shot may help protect from more than the flu

While the exact cause of Alzheimer’s remains unclear, new research suggests that the influenza vaccine may help guard against the disease. It was found that those vaccinated against the flu at least once within a four-year period are 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease during that time. Researchers think by preventing infection or reducing the severity of influenza infection, the vaccine reduces the damage the flu can cause to the brain, especially in those 65 and older. In addition, vaccines can alter the body’s immune response to the proteins linked to Alzheimer’s and other inflammatory responses that build up in the brain and kill the nerve cells or neurons around them. Learn more about the link between Alzheimer’s and the flu shot.