Introduction to Dementia Prevention
Most people know that exercising, eating healthy and keeping your mind active can lower your risk of dementia. But with the expected number of Americans living with dementia projected to increase to 13.8 million by 2060, the hunt is on for anything that could help prevent this devastating disease.
A New Study on Shingles Vaccine
A new study out of Stanford Medicine has presented some of the strongest evidence yet that a vaccine to help prevent dementia already exists — except it’s for a totally different condition. Researchers analyzed the health records of over 280,000 older adults in Wales and found that those who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years compared to those who did not.
A new study out of Stanford suggests a common vaccine may significantly reduce the risk of dementia. littlewolf1989 – stock.adobe.com
The Link Between Shingles and Dementia
Shingles is a painful rash condition that is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus — which remains dormant in nerve cells after someone has chickenpox. While the exact link between the shingles vaccine and dementia is unknown, some believe preventing the reactivation of the neurodegenerative condition may reduce neuroinflammation, a factor implicated in the development of dementia.
Unique Study Design
The study is different in a major way. Previous research has shown a link between the shingles vaccine and dementia — for example, a 2024 study by the University of Oxford found that the newer recombinant shingles vaccine, Shingrix, was associated with a 17% reduction in dementia risk compared to its predecessor, Zostavax. However, research has not been able to account for the impact that lifestyle factors might have on the results.
Accounting for Lifestyle Factors
Notably, the new study capitalized on a unique public health policy in Wales, in which people who had turned 80 just after Sept. 1, 2013, were eligible for the shingles vaccine — while those who turned 80 just before were not. This natural division allowed researchers to compare dementia rates between two very similar groups.
Study Findings
Even when accounting for other factors — such as education levels and vaccination history — the team found the two groups to be virtually indistinguishable apart from the drop in dementia cases in the shingles vaccine cohort. “Because of the unique way in which the vaccine was rolled out, bias in the analysis is much less likely than would usually be the case,” Geldsetzer said. “The signal in our data was so strong, so clear and so persistent.”
Future Research
The Stanford team has replicated the study in several other countries over the last two years with similar results. They are now hoping to launch a large, randomized controlled trial to strengthen the evidence. “It would be a very simple, pragmatic trial because we have a one-off intervention that we know is safe,” Geldsetzer said.
Can Other Jabs Fight Dementia?
Interestingly enough, this isn’t the only vaccine that has been shown to lower dementia risk. UTHealth Houston found in 2023 that vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria were linked to a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The year before, the same research team published another study that found that getting at least one flu vaccine made people 40% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who had never gotten a flu jab.
Conclusion
The findings of this study and others like it suggest that vaccines may play a role in reducing the risk of dementia. While more research is needed to confirm these findings, the results are promising and highlight the importance of vaccination in maintaining overall health.
FAQs
- Q: What is the shingles vaccine and how does it work?
A: The shingles vaccine is a vaccine that prevents shingles, a painful rash condition caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus. - Q: How does the shingles vaccine reduce the risk of dementia?
A: The exact link between the shingles vaccine and dementia is unknown, but it is thought that preventing the reactivation of the neurodegenerative condition may reduce neuroinflammation, a factor implicated in the development of dementia. - Q: Are there other vaccines that have been shown to lower dementia risk?
A: Yes, vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria, and flu have also been shown to lower dementia risk in some studies. - Q: What is the next step in researching the link between vaccines and dementia?
A: The Stanford team is planning to launch a large, randomized controlled trial to strengthen the evidence and confirm the findings of their study.
