Alzheimer's And Anesthetics

A group scientists are now looking into the possibility that one of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease may be the exposure to anesthetics commonly used in surgery. A report in the July edition of JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) reported the anesthetics under suspicion are isoflurane and halothane, both of which are inhaled. Patients given the chemicals commonly experience cognitive problems, but these were believed to be short-lived interruptions rather than permanent damage. When researchers tested the chemicals on animals, however, significant mental decline was noted. And it’s possible that other chemically related anesthetics, such as desflurane and sevoflurane, might also cause similar problems. The research is still underway, and hopefully will continue. Although the researcher who reported the possible problem said he found the early results “alarming,” he told doctors and patients there was no need for panic at this point.