47
Can we make blood transfusions safer by testing for proteins linked to strokes and Alzheimer’s? (www.ucl.ac.uk)
submitted 2 days ago by to c/science@lemmy.world
8 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 8 points 2 days ago (1 child)

The possibility that stroke and Alzheimer's dementia might be transmissible is very bad news and has so many ramifications. People with Alzheimer's dementia will commonly have a deterioration in physical health, with injury and things like pressure sores making them bleed more.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] -1 points 1 day ago (2 children)

    They already have it, so getting it via transfusion presumably wouldn't change much.

    I doubt many seniors with dementia donate blood...

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    We don't know the causality so its better to play it safe. What if pre-dementia or pre-alzheimers donors have the protien and it really is transmissible? For something as lethal as either of those diseases you would err on the side of caution and refuse donated blood with those proteins.

    A massive contributor to why HIV/AIDS is so bad in Africa is becausecof pooled blood products that were contaminated with HIV from donors even after we knew it was transmissible by blood... those companies packaged and sold or donated those products to Africa seeding the current crisis.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 18 hours ago (1 child)

    I completely agree with what you say. That's not what the comment I replied to talks about, though. They're talking about patients with dementia bad enough to hurt themselves. I don't think that in such case the protein being present in the transfusion matters much anymore.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 1 day ago

    I was thinking more of the carers, nurses and family members of those suffering from the disease. Not only does it take everything from them that was themselves but now the prospect they might transmit it to those that care for them too.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent