For decades, researchers have been trying to find a cure for dementia and age-related loss of memory and cognitive decline. Meanwhile, one potential aid may have been hiding in plain sight. A groundbreaking new study published in the journal Nature has just found that getting the shingles vaccine may reduce your risk of developing dementia by 20%.
This is some of the strongest evidence that viral infections could contribute to cognitive decline. What's more, scientists are saying that this research could have major implications as we don't currently have much else to slow the onset of dementia. Here's exactly what the study found and how it can apply to current dementia patients or anyone over the age of 65.
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Key Findings: The Vaccine-Dementia Link
The study was conducted by Stanford University and tracked nearly 280,000 older adults over a seven-year period in Wales. In Sept. 2013, the country's new vaccine rollout policy only allowed individuals turning 79 to receive the shingles vaccine, leaving those just slightly older ineligible.
This created a "natural experiment," allowing researchers to compare dementia rates in nearly identical groups, the study's lead author, Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford, wrote.
By tracking these two types of groups over time, as well as examining their medical history and any medications they were taking, Dr. Geldsetzer and his team found some striking results: Those who received the shingles vaccine Zostavax (an older version than what's currently offered today) were 20% less likely to develop dementia within the next seven years than those who didn't get the shot.
"We found that the zoster vaccine reduced the probability of a new dementia diagnosis by approximately one-fifth over a seven-year follow-up period," they wrote.
Plus, the researchers found that this reduced risk was stronger in women than men. This could be because of the differences in which dementia develops in women versus men and the fact that women generally have stronger immune responses to vaccines.
To confirm their findings, when England rolled out their shingles vaccination policy in an "almost identical way to Wales," the scientists were able to replicate their study with the same results. "We found that, over a nine-year follow-up period, approximately 1 in 20 such deaths were averted from being eligible for zoster vaccination," they wrote. They also conducted the same study in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Ultimately, the study authors concluded: "If these findings are truly causal, the zoster vaccine will be both far more effective as well as cost-effective in preventing or delaying dementia than existing pharmaceutical interventions."
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What This Means for You
Why does the shingles vaccine help reduce the risk of developing dementia? The study authors and other experts in the field have two theories.
The first has to do with inflammation, which is the common thread behind many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and yes—shingles and dementia.
The researchers believe that getting the shingles vaccine can stop the virus's inflammatory response, which can also help protect brain cells from neuroinflammation over time.
Second, the vaccine may boost immunity overall—especially in the nerves—which can also help protect cognitive function.
Here in the U.S., the current shingles vaccine is Shingrix, and according to ABC News, experts believe it may have an even stronger affect of reducing dementia risk than older versions.
With dementia rates rising to impact nearly 7 million Americans, this is promising news.
However, there's a big issue when it comes to vaccination rates. While one in three Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime, fewer than 40% of eligible people (adults over 50 or anyone with a weakened immune system) have received Shingrix, ABC News reports.
While the study authors and independent experts agree that further research is needed to confirm the long-term effects of the shingles vaccine on dementia, these latest findings highlight an exciting new path to prevention. Some even told The New York Times that previous research shows that the shingles vaccine is especially helpful for preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Considering this news, if you're eligible, getting the shingles vaccine could be an investment for your future self. If you're not eligible, there are other smart ways to keep your brain sharp, such as eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, keeping your social life alive, and even playing daily memory games.
