A study involving over 200,000 people conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford has revealed that a new shingles vaccine may significantly reduce the risk of dementia.
Published in Nature Medicine, the study found at least a 17% reduction in dementia diagnoses in the six years following vaccination with the recombinant shingles vaccine, equating to an additional 164 or more days lived without dementia.
The study observed benefits in both men and women, with a more pronounced effect in women. This suggests that the recombinant shingles vaccine could offer additional protection against dementia beyond its primary purpose of preventing shingles.
Shingles, caused by the Herpes zoster virus, is a painful condition affecting many elderly individuals. The virus can reactivate in people who previously had chicken pox.
After the introduction of the shingles vaccine (Zostavax) in 2006, some studies hinted at a lower dementia risk among vaccinated individuals, although the results were inconclusive.
Zostavax has since been replaced by a more effective vaccine, Shingrix, in countries like the UK and the U.S. The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK now offers Shingrix to all elderly people and specific other groups.
In their study, researchers utilized the U.S. TriNetX electronic health records network. The switch from Zostavax to Shingrix in October 2017 allowed them to compare dementia risk in the six years after receiving Shingrix versus Zostavax, involving more than 100,000 people in each group.
They also compared Shingrix recipients to those vaccinated against other infections like flu, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.
Shingrix was associated with a 17% lower risk of dementia compared to Zostavax and a 23-27% lower risk compared to other vaccines.
This translates to an additional 5-9 months lived without dementia for those who received Shingrix compared to other vaccines. The positive effects were seen in both sexes but were more significant in women.
Although the findings are robust, the researchers caution that further research is needed before recommending the shingles vaccine as a preventive measure against dementia.
Dr. Maxime Taquet, who led the study, stated, “The size and nature of this study makes these findings convincing, and should motivate further research.
They support the hypothesis that vaccination against shingles might prevent dementia. If validated in clinical trials, these findings could have significant implications for older adults, health services, and public health.”
Professor John Todd from the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine added, “A key question is, how does the vaccine produce its apparent benefit in protecting against dementia?
One possibility is that infection with the Herpes zoster virus might increase the risk of dementia, and therefore by inhibiting the virus the vaccine could reduce this risk. Alternatively, the vaccine also contains chemicals which might have separate beneficial effects on brain health.”
Paul Harrison, who supervised the study, commented, “The findings are intriguing and encouraging. Anything that might reduce the risk of dementia is to be welcomed, given the large and increasing number of people affected by it.”
In summary, the recombinant shingles vaccine Shingrix shows promise not only in preventing shingles but also in potentially reducing the risk of dementia. Further research is necessary to confirm these findings and understand the mechanisms behind this protective effect.
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The research findings can be found in Nature Medicine.
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