Anesthesia may increase Alzheimer's risk (hmmm....)

Anesthesia may increase Alzheimer's risk


MADRID, March 25 (UPI) -- Anesthesia is safe for normal mice, but potentially harmful for mice with genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, researchers in Spain find.

Dr. Maria Angeles Mena, director of the Neuropharmacology Laboratory at Hospital Ramon y Cajal in Madrid, Spain, coordinated the study performed by predoctoral student Juan Perucho and others.

The use of repetitive anesthesia with isoflurane -- one of the most common anesthetics by inhalation -- increases the risk of developing changes similar to those observed in brains with Alzheimer's disease in mice with mutations of the amyloid precursor protein.

The findings suggest a possible mechanism of developing Alzheimer's. Some epidemiological studies have shown an increased prevalence of the disease in patients undergoing anesthesia and surgery, the study says.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/03/25/Anesthesia-may-increase-Alzheimers-risk/UPI-16541269575650/

Wonder if genetic risks could also cause problems with other things where it seems all is ok by most other measures - like vaccines, general meds, exposure to certain chemicals, etc.

Of course if that was the case it might piss off those hardliners who insist everything is safe for all humans on the planet and that if a parent wants to wait until a kid is older for shots that they are just 'selfish', that people who have problems around perfumes are just whiners, etc.

"It didn't hurt me at all, so you will be fine too, and a peer reviewed study showed all was fine - just because it was proven wrong later means nothing, accept what you are told today without question from your priests...err corporate scientist"