A group of 3,020 people aged 65 and older were selected. Of this group, 164 people already had Alzheimer’s disease and 522 people already had a cancer diagnosis. Researchers tracked the group for an average of five years to see whether they developed dementia and an average of eight years to see whether they developed cancer.

The 164 people with Alzheimer’s were found to be 69 percent less likely to undergo hospitalization for cancer during the study period.

The 522 people who had cancer were 43 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease over the course of the study period.

While the reasons for these results are not clear the connection between the two may prove to be significant. Catherine Roe from Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, had this to say about the results of the study: “Discovering the links between these two conditions may help us better understand both diseases and open up avenues for possible treatments.”

More in depth studies into the correlation are planned.