Shingles Vaccine Linked to Reducedโ Dementia risk & โImproved Outcomes,New Research Suggests
Stanford,CA – Decemberโค 3,2024 – A new study fromโ Stanford University indicates the shingles vaccine may not only help prevent dementia,but also possibly treat the condition by slowing its progression and improving outcomes for โขthose already diagnosed. Published in โApril 2024, the researchโ builds on previous findings linking theโข vaccine to a lower risk of developing dementia.
Researchers leveraged the UK’s complete health records to compare dementia rates among individuals eligible for the shingles โคvaccine with a similar,non-eligible group. The study found vaccinated individuals were 20% less likely to be โคdiagnosed with dementia over a seven-year period.
This latest analysis expanded on โthose โขfindings, revealing vaccinated peopel were also less likely to โdevelop mild cognitive impairment (MCI), often โa precursor to โdementia, though not all MCI cases progress to full dementia.โ Furthermore, among those already diagnosed with dementia, โขvaccinated individuals demonstrated a lower risk of โฃdeath resulting from โฃthe condition.
“That โคmeans that the vaccine doesn’t just have a preventive potential,โ but actually a therapeuticโ potential โฃasโ a treatment, โas we see some benefitsโ already among those who have dementia,” explained senior study author Pascalโค Geldsetzer, an assistant professor of medicine โat Stanford, in a statement to CNN. “To me,โข thisโ was really exciting to see and unexpected.”
The researchโ team acknowledgesโ the study cannot definitively prove a causal link, but believes thier methodology addresses many limitations common to observational studies. The โfindings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting the shinglesโฃ vaccine โฃoffers broader health benefits than initially understood.
Inโ October 2024, another study revealed that โindividuals vaccinated against โshingles also exhibited a reduced risk of heartโ disease and stroke, and experienced increased longevity compared to those unvaccinated.
The shingles vaccine is currently universally recommended for all Americans aged 50 and older, administeredโ as โa two-dose series. Beyond preventing the intensely painful experience ofโค shingles, the vaccine may now offer notableโข protection against neurological and cardiovascular diseases.
