Shingles vaccine linked to 24% lower dementia risk in older adults

A new study led by Brown University researchers adds to evidence linking shingles vaccination with a lower risk of dementia diagnoses among older adults.

Dig deeper:

Published in The Annals of Internal Medicine, the study examined electronic health records and Medicare claims involving more than 509,926 U.S. adults ages 66 and older who had been admitted to skilled nursing facilities.

Researchers found that people who received at least one dose of the recombinant shingles vaccine, Shingrix, had a 24% lower relative risk of a dementia diagnosis over four years than those who were not vaccinated.

RELATED: VA launches clinical trial of psilocybin to treat veterans suffering from depression, PTSD

The findings show an association and do not prove that the vaccine directly prevents dementia, the researchers noted.

What they're saying:

Dr. Ajeet Sodhi, a clinical neurologist and neuro-interventionalist in Orlando, Florida, said the findings are "remarkable" but align with a growing body of research.

"This is maybe the third or fourth study, and they all came to the same conclusion," Sodhi, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "It seems that by giving patients the shingles vaccine called Shingrix, in the next couple of years, we see a clinically significant decline in the development of dementia."

Why you should care:

Researchers have suggested several possible reasons for the connection, including the vaccine’s prevention of shingles and related complications. The virus has also been associated with vascular events such as strokes, which can contribute to vascular dementia.

Sodhi said recent research also points to broader cardiovascular benefits from the vaccine.

"In addition to the study that we're talking about today, there was a study published just this week that showed the shingles vaccine results in a clinically significant reduction in the incidence of both cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease," he told Fox News Digital.

"So that's heart attacks and strokes."

RELATED: Perez Hilton hospitalized following concerning TikTok livestream, wellness check

Still, Sodhi emphasized that Shingrix is not considered a direct treatment for dementia or cognitive decline.

"It's not at this time considered a treatment," he noted. "This association is ... very, very suggestive, but we can't say one-to-one it proves that this treats dementia. And this finding, honestly, is kind of like icing on the cake."

Big picture view:

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox, according to the Mayo Clinic. After chickenpox infection, the virus can remain dormant in nerve tissue near the brain and spinal cord before reactivating years later as shingles, a painful rash that can include fluid-filled blisters.

The vaccine’s primary purpose remains preventing shingles and its complications, including post-herpetic neuralgia, which can cause persistent nerve pain after the rash disappears, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

What you can do:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of Shingrix for adults 50 and older, as well as adults 19 and older who are or will be immunocompromised. The FDA has approved the vaccine to prevent shingles and related complications, not to prevent or treat dementia.

The study was funded by GSK, the maker of Shingrix. The authors said the company had no role in the study’s design, analysis or publication.

For people worried about memory loss or a family history of dementia, Sodhi recommended speaking with a doctor as early as possible.

"The common theme in all of this is the sooner you seek evaluation, the better it is for the treatment," Sodhi advised. "The treatment is more likely to work the earlier you are in the onset of the disease."

 

Mental Health