New study shows link between sepsis and dementia in elderly

In a recent study, researchers found a link between sepsis and dementia in the elderly. The elderly are highly susceptible to sepsis, which is a life-threatening infection of the blood, and is the leading cause of death reported by ICU units of many hospitals.

It was once thought that when an elderly patient made a full recovery from sepsis, they would go on with no lasting long-term health risks, however, the new study shows this not to be the case. While patients who had no history of never having sepsis exhibited no health risks during the study, those who had previously survived sepsis, three out of five went on the experience serious mental and physical ailments in the years following the recovery from sepsis.

The study’s findings have shown that there is an estimated 20,000 new patients suffering from dementia in the elderly over the age of 65 every year just in the United Stated. When patients become septic, they experience low blood pressure, shock, and blood clots can also form in more severe cases resulting in the vital organs shutting down.

This recent study has proven that more preventative measures are needed to prevent sepsis among the elderly, and that vaccination of the elderly for flu and pneumonia is an excellent start in the prevention of sepsis which is caused by the body’s immune system trying to fight of these common diseases.