BBC NEWS | Health | Cold sores 'an Alzheimer's risk'

BBC NEWS | Health | Cold sores 'an Alzheimer's risk': "Catching a cold sore puts you at risk of Alzheimer's disease, mounting evidence suggests.

The herpes virus behind cold sores is a major cause of the protein plaques that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's, scientists have shown.

On the plus side, the latest discovery by the University of Manchester team may mean antiviral drugs used to treat cold sores could also prevent dementia."