3 ms·

There have been a few discussions / articles here on HN about how Covid-19 may also have some role in the formation of Lewy bodies. To me, this is one of the mo

There have been a few discussions / articles here on HN about how Covid-19 may also have some role in the formation of Lewy bodies. To me, this is one of the more scary potential pathways for this observed cognitive deficit. Will otherwise healthy people clear the Lewy bodies over time? Or will we have a long-term uptick in conditions like Parkinsons or other Lewy body dementias?

echelon 5y ago
I'm not downplaying covid at all, but I'm beginning to wonder about the impact of any illness on our longevity. Immune recruitment and inflammation is not healthy. Endothelial and organ damage is not healthy. I wonder if every cold we get reduces our lifespan by some quantifiable number of days. Perhaps correlating with severity and tissues / immune pathways impacted
- bryan0 5y ago
  > Immune recruitment and inflammation is not healthy. Try to live without it. It’s arguably the “healthiest” thing our bodies do.
  - echelon 5y ago
    Perhaps I wasn't clear. The immune response inflicts damage that the body must repair. It's not free. When you hear about chronic inflammation, that's not a healthy state. We evolved an immune system because the alternative is vastly inferior. Immunocompromised individuals have a much harder time surviving (pathogens, cancers, etc.), especially without the aid of modern medicine. SCID is a disease where you can see the full ramifications. What I'm saying is that the immune response itself is like fighting a war. Sometimes a war leaves scars that last. Over the course of a lifetime, these add up.
- lost-found 5y ago
  I think you would have heard about a lot more “cold-fog” if that was the case for cognitive issues. I am sure it does happen—covid and the common cold are both coronaviruses after all, but I’ve been hearing numbers as high as 30% with covid: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-does-covid-19-affect-the-brain-a-troubling-picture-emerges https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-does-... With that said, I am sure if we poured this much research into other severe illnesses we would find out a lot more bad news about what they do to our bodies…

echelon 5y ago

I'm not downplaying covid at all, but I'm beginning to wonder about the impact of any illness on our longevity. Immune recruitment and inflammation is not healthy. Endothelial and organ damage is not healthy. I wonder if every cold we get reduces our lifespan by some quantifiable number of days. Perhaps correlating with severity and tissues / immune pathways impacted

bryan0 5y ago
> Immune recruitment and inflammation is not healthy. Try to live without it. It’s arguably the “healthiest” thing our bodies do.
- echelon 5y ago
  Perhaps I wasn't clear. The immune response inflicts damage that the body must repair. It's not free. When you hear about chronic inflammation, that's not a healthy state. We evolved an immune system because the alternative is vastly inferior. Immunocompromised individuals have a much harder time surviving (pathogens, cancers, etc.), especially without the aid of modern medicine. SCID is a disease where you can see the full ramifications. What I'm saying is that the immune response itself is like fighting a war. Sometimes a war leaves scars that last. Over the course of a lifetime, these add up.
lost-found 5y ago
I think you would have heard about a lot more “cold-fog” if that was the case for cognitive issues. I am sure it does happen—covid and the common cold are both coronaviruses after all, but I’ve been hearing numbers as high as 30% with covid: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-does-covid-19-affect-the-brain-a-troubling-picture-emerges https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-does-... With that said, I am sure if we poured this much research into other severe illnesses we would find out a lot more bad news about what they do to our bodies…