One in 17 Dementia Cases Could Be Prevented, Study Points to One Vaccine
A surprising connection emerged in a major study, raising new questions about whether one routine shot could protect the brain.
According to a new study of older adults in skilled nursing facilities, getting the shingles vaccine, also known as Shingrix, may be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. Researchers analyzed data from over 509,000 adults aged 66 and older who received more than 5,500 skilled nursing facility stays between 2017 and 2022.
Among those who received the shingles vaccine, 18.8% developed dementia, compared to 24.6% of those who did not receive the vaccine. This suggests that vaccination may prevent one case of dementia for every 17 people vaccinated. While the study cannot definitively prove that the vaccine directly prevents dementia, researchers speculate that the vaccine may work by controlling the reactivation of a nerve-loving virus or by strengthening the immune system, potentially reducing long-term brain inflammation.
The study acknowledges several limitations, such as the potential influence of factors like age and overall health among the vaccinated individuals, and calls for further research, including clinical trials, to confirm the findings.
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