Discontinued Growth Hormone Treatment Linked to Alzheimer's

Five patients who received human growth hormone injections from cadavers as children developed Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a possible new transmission route for the disease.

Five patients in the United Kingdom who received human growth hormone injections from cadavers as children have developed Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a possible third way for Alzheimer's to develop: through contaminated medical products.
The patients developed dementia symptoms between ages 38 and 55, and none had genetic mutations linked to early-onset dementia.
The hormone treatment was discontinued in 1985 due to contamination concerns; there are no known cases of Alzheimer's transmitted through other medical or surgical procedures.
The study provides the first evidence of Alzheimer's disease in living people that appears to have been medically acquired and due to transmission of the amyloid-beta protein.
Although Alzheimer's may have more in common with CJD than previously suspected, researchers stress that Alzheimer's is not contagious and cannot be spread between individuals during activities of daily life or routine medical care.