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- Publish Date：2026-05-11
NYCU-Led International Study Finds Early Anti-Herpes Treatment May Reduce Dementia Risk
A new international study led by NYCU found that early treatment with anti-herpes antiviral medications may help reduce the risk of dementia.
Edited by Chance Lai
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Cold sores caused by stress, recurring herpes outbreaks, and shingles — commonly known in Taiwan as “皮蛇” — are often seen as temporary but troublesome conditions. Now, a large international study led by researchers from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, and Yuan Ze University suggests that early treatment with anti-herpes antiviral medications may also help protect long-term brain health. The findings, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease under the title “Anti-herpetic Treatment Reduces Dementia Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” provide new evidence supporting a link between chronic viral infection and dementia risk.
Growing Evidence Behind the “Infection Hypothesis”
According to the World Alzheimer Report, the global dementia population is projected to exceed 130 million by 2050. Increasingly, researchers have turned their attention to the so-called “infection hypothesis,” which suggests that chronic viral infections may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Human herpes viruses are among the most widespread latent viruses worldwide. These include herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2), which commonly cause cold sores, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes shingles. Once infected, the viruses remain dormant in the nervous system for life and may reactivate during periods of stress or weakened immunity.
Previous studies have detected HSV-1 DNA within amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, raising concerns that chronic viral infection and immune responses may accelerate brain inflammation, amyloid accumulation, and neuronal damage — all of which are linked to dementia progression.
Cross-National Analysis of More Than 10 Million Older Adults
The study was led by Yi-Fang Chuang, together with medical student Syuan-Ting Chang and an interdisciplinary research team. Drawing on large-scale healthcare databases from Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and six additional countries, the researchers analyzed medical records from more than 10.36 million adults aged 50 and older to examine the association between antiviral medications for herpes and dementia risk.
Growing Evidence Behind the “Infection Hypothesis”
According to the World Alzheimer Report, the global dementia population is projected to exceed 130 million by 2050. Increasingly, researchers have turned their attention to the so-called “infection hypothesis,” which suggests that chronic viral infections may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
Human herpes viruses are among the most widespread latent viruses worldwide. These include herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2), which commonly cause cold sores, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes shingles. Once infected, the viruses remain dormant in the nervous system for life and may reactivate during periods of stress or weakened immunity.
Previous studies have detected HSV-1 DNA within amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, raising concerns that chronic viral infection and immune responses may accelerate brain inflammation, amyloid accumulation, and neuronal damage — all of which are linked to dementia progression.
Cross-National Analysis of More Than 10 Million Older Adults
The study was led by Yi-Fang Chuang, together with medical student Syuan-Ting Chang and an interdisciplinary research team. Drawing on large-scale healthcare databases from Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and six additional countries, the researchers analyzed medical records from more than 10.36 million adults aged 50 and older to examine the association between antiviral medications for herpes and dementia risk.
The team found that individuals who had received antiviral treatment showed an overall reduction in dementia risk of approximately 10%. Among patients with clinically confirmed herpes virus infections and more pronounced symptoms, early antiviral intervention was associated with a risk reduction of up to 23%.
Researchers believe repeated herpes virus reactivation may continuously trigger neuroinflammatory responses, gradually damaging brain function over time and acting as a hidden contributor to dementia development. By suppressing viral activity during the early stages of infection, antiviral medications may help reduce neurological damage and provide a potential protective effect against dementia.
Toward Future Dementia Prevention Strategies
Although the study is observational, the consistency of the findings across multiple countries provides strong real-world evidence for a link between viral infection and dementia risk.
The research team hopes that future clinical trials will further evaluate whether combining antiviral therapies, vaccination strategies, and high-risk screening programs could form a more comprehensive dementia prevention framework.
Yi-Fang Chuang (left), professor in NYCU’s Master’s Program in Public Health, and medical student Syuan-Ting Chang pose for a photo following the research collaboration.Related Image(s)：
